Labor’s Mary Doyle changed everything we expect to see in by-elections on Saturday, by winning the Federal seat of Aston for Labor, in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.
By-elections don’t typically swing in favour of the sitting government, and it’s been more than 100 years since a government last won a seat from the opposition.
But Doyle pulled it off in stunning style, achieving what looks to be at least a 6 per cent swing for Labor, according to ABC projections late on Saturday night, as the counting continues.
And it comes after she returned to the fight a second time, having unsuccessfully contested the seat at the 2022 Federal election.
Labor has not held the seat since 1990, with former frontbencher Alan Tudge holding the seat until his resignation earlier this year.
With Doyle’s win for Labor, the Liberals now only hold three of the 26 federal seats in Melbourne. This loss is seen as a major blow for Peter Dutton’s leadership of the Opposition, who had hoped Liberal candidate Roshena Campbell could win the seat and hold it for the Coalition.
During her victory speech on Saturday night with her daughters by her side, Doyle thanked her supporters.
“I’m a suburban mum, and I’ve lived in the outer eastern suburbs for more than 35 years. And as of tonight, I guess I’ll be your next member for Aston.
“I think the most optimistic campaigners knew that I was the underdog, even after the excellent election result we had last year. What we were trying to do hadn’t been done for a hundred years. And Aston had been Liberal since Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares to You was number one, way back in 1990, when I was just a slip of a girl at 19.
“We were the underdog, but boy have we shown that have a big bite,” she said.
This is an extraordinary endorsement of the Albanese Government’s positive plan for the country and a credit to all your hard work,” she told supporters.
She said she was overwhelmed by the support, including having Billy Brag wearing on of her t-shirts.
She also thanked the “wonderful, wonderful women” at Emily’s List for their support. “We really need more women progressive in parliament and hey, we just got one more tonight!”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the win came as a result of Doyle’s “values,k her decency, her hard work.”
During her concessions speech with Dutton by her side, Campbell told her supporters, “we will fight on.”