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Conservative Sky News commentator Peta Credlin has unleashed a furious spray at the Victorian Liberal Party as they suffer a convincing loss to Daniel Andrews‘ Labor in the state election.
Major television networks including the ABC’s respected election guru Antony Green called the Victorian election for Labor shortly after 8pm on Saturday, barely two hours after polls closed.
His government will retain its majority, with Mr Green calling at least 48 seats for the ALP.
Reacting to the news, Credlin – who was once touted as a potential challenger to Andrews at the polls – fumed that the party was getting ‘very comfortable’ with the fact it was in Opposition and lost the election despite having ‘lots’ to work with against the Premier.
Credlin, the former chief of staff to Liberal PM Tony Abbott, said the party was being destroyed by ‘factional warlordism’ and slammed senior MPs for telling Federal Liberals to butt out, as they ‘don’t understand Victoria’.
‘Really?! Because you lose so well at a state level in areas where we don’t lose at a federal level.’
Sky News host Peta Credlin (pictured left) blamed ‘factional warlordism’ and the Liberals ‘being comfortable in Opposition’ for their defeat in the Victorian election on Saturday
Dan Andrews (pictured) has led Labor to its third consecutive victory in Victoria
Ms Credlin said the Victorian Liberals need to be brave enough to clear out the ‘dead-wood’ that has been around for 20 years and ‘achieved sweet bugger all’.
‘You can see in seats like Hastings and Nepean if you put in fresh blood into the ballot people will support it’.
‘The Liberal Party isn’t sure in Victoria what it stands for and I have to say it’s become very, very comfortable in Opposition,’ Credlin said.
‘It’s lost the belief in itself that it can take on Labor and win.’
‘You’re up against Dan Andrews and you can see in the swings (against Labor) that there’s cranky people.’
‘There’s plenty to work with’.
‘Congratulations @DanielAndrewsMP, what a great win,’ Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted soon after the result became clear.
The result drew cheers from Labor supporters gathered at the party’s election night party in the premier’s seat of Mulgrave in Melbourne’s southeast. Mr Andrews’ mother and sister are also in attendance.
The divisive Premier’s victory comes despite his hardline Covid policies that saw Melbourne forced into a 263-day lockdown, the longest in the world.
Mr Andrews’ vaccine mandates infuriated some workers, but were accepted by most of the population – and his government campaigned on promises of free kindergarten and renewable energy.
The Greens also look set to make significant gains at Saturday’s poll. They retained the seats of Brunswick, Melbourne, Prahran, were projected to pick up Northcote and Richmond and were ahead in Pascoe Vale as of 9.30pm, according to the ABC.
Mr Andrews sent out a hopeful message as polls closed at 6pm on Saturday, telling voters ‘we’ll see you soon’ alongside a grinning photo.
Premier Daniel Andrews sent out an early celebratory message, telling voters ‘we’ll see you soon’, shortly before his win
Labor supporters react at the Labor Party reception in Melbourne as Dan Andrews wins a third term
Labor supporters react at the Labor Party reception in Melbourne on Saturday after Mr Andrews’ win
Anthony Albanese sent Daniel Andrews a congratulatory message on Instagram after his election win
Labour party supporters cheer as they hear about the Labour party’s win in Victoria
Major networks – the ABC, Sky, Seven and Nine – all called the race in favour of Mr Andrews shortly after 8pm
The divisive Premier’s victory comes despite his hardline Covid policies that saw Melbourne forced into a 263-day lockdown, the longest in the world
The mood was somber at the Liberal Party reception as the results came in just after 8pm
Ex state Liberal president Michael Kroger told Sky News: ‘On balance they’re going to hold government by a majority
His confidence was called into question earlier in the night, with Peta Credlin, the former chief of staff to Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, saying there is ‘no doubt the swing is on’.
However, that swing – of about three per cent – was no-where near significant enough to sweep his government from office.
Steve Bracks, former Victoria Premier for Labor, told Seven: ‘I can call it, I think it’s impossible for the Liberals to win. I think it’s almost certainly a majority Labor government.’
And ex state Liberal president Michael Kroger told Sky News: ‘On balance they’re going to hold government by a majority. The early figures are uniform across the place, and that’s what’s disappointing.’
‘Now, we are yet to determine whether that’s the majority or minority government. But what we can’t see is a pathway for the Coalition to win enough seats to get into government and Labor will end up with more seats than the Coalition.’
Earlier in the evening, former Strictly Ballroom star Paul Mercurio clinched the seat of Hastings for Labor from the Liberals.
But it was not the only seat to change hands, as former professional tennis player Sam Groth declared victory in the seat of Nepean on the Mornington Peninsula, prying it from Labor early in the count.
‘I certainly wasn’t expecting them to call it this this early in the night, I’m very happy,’ Mr Groth said.
‘I haven’t had the chance to have a beer yet.’
Reacting to the result, a disappointed Georgie Crozier, shadow health minister for the Liberals, described the night as ‘incredibly disappointing’.
‘Judging from these early votes that are coming in, obviously it is not a good result for us. It is incredibly disappointing. That is evident from what we’re seeing.
‘As others have said, we have to take on board this and learn from it and, you know, get back on that horse and show we are a viable alternative.
‘We’ve worked hard. We had what I felt was a very strong message but, clearly, the Victorian public haven’t taken that.’
Labour party supporters watching the election count telecast in Daniel Andrews seat of Mulgrave
Mr Andrews’ vaccine mandates infuriated some workers, but were accepted by most of the population
Labor supporters react at the Labor Party reception in Melbourne on a successful night
Party faithful watch on a broadcast of election results at the Liberal Party reception in Melbourne
And discussing the Greens surge, former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett said the higher Greens vote in non-Melbourne seats is ‘surprising’ and could cause ‘a very strong result for the government, sadly’.
‘What is surprising, even in these early numbers, is the high Greens vote,’ Kennett added.
‘For them to be getting 15 per cent in seats away from their own area if these figures hold up … those preferences will go to the Labor Party and you might find a very strong result for the government, sadly.’
The result comes despite senior Labor and Coalition sources warning that it was likely to be a long night for both camps, with almost two million pre-poll and postal votes set to drop later on Saturday evening.
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