Anthony Albanese has taken Labor to a federal election victory with a lower primary vote than the party recorded at its 2019 loss.
With 66 per cent of the primary vote counted across Australia, Labor is on 32 per cent of the primary vote to 35 per cent for the Coalition.
The Greens have picked picked up 12.9 per cent of the primary vote and Independents have scored 5.5 per cent.
Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has garnered 4.2 per cent while Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is at 4.9 per cent and the Liberal Democrats at 1.7 per cent.
In 2019, Labor and then leader by Bill Shorten, were defeated with 33.34 per cent of the primary vote.
The major changes in this year’s election results are a swing to Greens which have seen a surge in popularity up from 10.4 per cent in 2019 with preferences going to Labor.
Independents too have seen a wave of support up from 3.37 per cent in 2019.
This is largely courtesy of the 22 ‘teal independent’ candidates who set out to snatch votes from blue-ribbon Liberal seats by offering a focus on climate policy.
Six of them won seats in Sydney and Melbourne at the expense of the Liberals.
One of the most senior moderates left in the LNP Simon Birmingham said on Sunday morning he hoped the party could bring in more women to party following Scott Morrison’s resignation on Saturday night.
‘I will be looking to whoever takes on that role (of party leader) to ensure we bring into Liberal fold more women so we can ensure our party reflects modern Australia in its ranks,’ he said.
Non-teal Independent Dai Le looks also to knock out Labor’s Home Affairs minister Kristina Keneally in the seat of Fowler where she was parachuted in.
The former NSW premier, moved from Scotland Island in Sydney’s northern beaches to Fowler ahead of the election and said she would stay there if she lost.
While she has not conceded defeat in the seat, Senator Keneally commended her opponent’s campaign on Saturday night.
‘I know that we are here tonight to have a celebration and yet as we are here gathered this evening it’s not entirely clear yet, the result in Fowler, and I do want to congratulate Dai Le and Courtney Nguyen on the campaigns that they ran,’ she said.
A swing of 1.89 per cent has also gone to One Nation in 2022, with Pauline Hanson set to hold her Queensland senate seat.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the head of Aotearoa’s Labour Party, said she was looking forward to working with her new Australian counterpart.
‘Australia is our most important partner, our only official ally and single economic market relationship, and I believe our countries will work even more closely together,’ she said.