Ali France has been trying to win the seat of Dickson from Peter Dutton for seven years.
In her third election campaign, she has finally sealed the deal, picking up the seat in support of Labor winning a second term in government.
France’s tenacity and determination could well become the story of this election. She is a single mother with a career in journalism and communications, and a woman with deep community ties and strong personal experience in healthcare, the NDIS, and disability care.
She represents so much of what the Liberal party failed to address during its campaign.
The Coalition’s vote collapsed beyond expectations on Saturday night, with Labor winning a majority and Anthony Albanese declaring victory around 10 p.m.
The Liberal party has failed to learn anything from its previous dire election results. Rather than addressing some of the issues surrounding its appeal to women, Dutton and the Liberal party chose to double down to strengthen their appeal elsewhere.
The strategy hasn’t worked, and Labor’s Ali France seems to represent so much of what women have done to reject the type of government Dutton would lead.
In 2011, France became an amputee, losing her leg in a car crash. In February last year, she lost her teenage son Henry to leukemia. He had been a massive supporter of France’s previous campaigns, with France declaring he would have been “chuffed” to know she was running again.
“Obviously, I’m incredibly sad that he is not here,” France said when announcing her candidacy last year.
“But he said to me many times on many different issues: ‘Don’t make me the excuse for not doing the important things.’
“And this is so incredibly important.”
Peter Dutton conceded defeat around 9 p.m. on Saturday night. He accepted responsibility, apologised to those in his party who lost their seats, and congratulated Ali France, declaring she would do a good job for the people of Dickson.
“I said to her, her son Henry will be incredibly proud of her tonight.”
Later, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared in his victory speech that Australians had chosen “courage in adversity and kindness” and “optimism and determinism”. Everything that Ali France seems to represent.