Updated ,first published
Peter Malinauskas has claimed a big victory in the second term in South Australia, using the resounding results to call for a more generous and inclusive politics even as One Nation was increasingly concentrated in the votes of major parties.
As counting progressed on Saturday night, Labor was on course to win at least 32 of the 47 seats in parliament, strengthening the Prime Minister’s power despite a general election against the government. The Liberals were reduced to a handful of seats, while the One Nation vote spread across regional and working-class areas, securing Hammond’s seat and increasing its presence in the upper house.
In a victory speech that relied more on sounding like victory, Malinauskas reached beyond his base, using the bush principles of Henry Lawson’s poem. Responsibility of Australians in order to create his call for unity.
“When we all combine, we can achieve anything,” he said. “When we work together, diversity has always been our greatest strength.
“If we focus on what unites us – a shared love of living in a place of peace, prosperity, a state full of hard-working people who value care and compassion – then we can use this time with our newfound confidence.”
The result makes Labor one of its strongest in the state’s history, even as it underlines the changing political landscape. Labor’s primary vote sat at around 38 per cent, ahead of One Nation on around 21 per cent and the Liberals languishing at around 19 per cent – a huge 16 per cent fall from four years ago.
Malinauskas, careful to minimize the margin of victory, warned his colleagues against complacency.
“Although this is a historic result, although it is the best result our party has ever achieved, it is very important that no one confuses tonight’s result as praise,” he said. “Instead, we should see it as just an invitation to continue working for the next four years.”
The Prime Minister confirmed he had received phone calls from Liberal leader Ashton Hurn and Cory Bernardi of One Nation, signaling a willingness to work in an increasingly fractured parliament.
“I am telling Ashton and Cory, as well as the leaders of the other political parties elected tonight, that my government is prepared to work with each of you at all times if it is in the best interests of South Australians,” he said.
The extent of the Liberal defeat was quickly apparent. Hurn conceded just before 9.30pm, describing the result as a “difficult night” and acknowledging the need for deep reflection. The party’s vote collapsed in the suburbs of Adelaide and in key regional centres, squeezed by Labor on one side and One Nation on the other.
The party’s primary votes sat in single digits in several seats, including Kaurna, Reynell, Cheltenham, Ramsay, Florey, Elizabeth, Port Adelaide, Playford, Black, Giles, and Hurtle Vale.
Former leader Vincent Tarzia was among the casualties, losing Hartley.
“There’s no doubt about it, that things are tough,” Hurn said. “And lessons must be learned.”
“Voters are never wrong. It is up to us to heed their advice. Now is the time to come together as a party.”
The rise of One Nation, led by Pauline Hanson’s federal government, translated a strong turnout into an electoral success, with at least one lower house seat. The party’s state leader Bernardi won the top seat and declared that an “earthquake” had shaken the major parties.
Hanson said he felt “vindicated”, marking the results as part of a wider national shift. “I think the rest of Australia will be watching what happens here tonight,” he said, linking the results to upcoming contests including the Farrer by-election and the November Winners’ vote.
He later added that the increase was “just the beginning”, describing a “low tide” of voters breaking away from the political mainstream.
“It’s not just a vote against … you don’t know what has happened in this country, there is a movement and there is a small current, and it is people who say we have been clever, we want our country to return,” he said.
The election results strengthen Labour’s dominance – the party has now won five of the last six elections – but also highlight the fragility that has emerged. More than a third of the votes were cast early, and several seats have remained in doubt for days as complex preferences are counted.
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Rob Harris is a national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Canberra. He is a former European writer.Connect through email address.
