The Turnbull-led Coalition faces a tough task ahead of next year’s federal elections.
The federal government is continuing to play down the results of the Super Saturday by-elections.
Labor is celebrating maintaining its numbers in parliament after winning four of the five by-elections, including the marginal seats of Braddon and Longman. But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rejects the results are a reflection of voters turning against the Coalition.
While federal Labor hasn’t won any additional seats in parliament, its strong showing at the Super Saturday by-elections has galvanised the party.
The marginal seats of Longman and Braddon stayed in Labor hands, despite months of campaigning from the Coalition.
Labor leader Bill Shorten is selling the Super Saturday results as an endorsement of party policy. “This economy and this nation is being governed in the interests of the few - not all of us and what Labor will keep saying to the general election is that we want to make sure that we have quality jobs that are well paid and regular wage rises - properly funded schools and of course, very importantly, properly funded hospitals. That’ll be our priority and message to the election and if Mr Turnbull thinks that’s all a fairytale - if he thinks that everything is fine - that he’s going to keep offering us more of the same - well I think he’ll pay an electoral price for that,” said Mr Shorten.
Mr Shorten was dogged by persistent questions about his leadership throughout the by-election campaigns.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says she’s confident leadership speculation will dissipate after Super Saturday.
Incoming Labor president Wayne Swan has told the ABC Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should be worried heading into next year’s federal election. “This is a complete rejection and utter humiliation for the Prime Minister. The Labor vote has got a four in front of it and the Liberal vote has got a two in front of it. So, quite an emphatic rejection of the Prime Minister. Given that he was the one that said this was all about leadership. Well I’ll tell you what has shone through here, Bill Shorten’s tenacity and Bill Shorten’s policy programme,” Mr Swan said.
Mr Turnbull disagrees.
“I see that Bill Shorten is punching the air as though he’d won the World Cup. Well the reality is that the Labor Party has secured an average or conventional swing in a by-election to it in Longman and has not secured any swing at all in Braddon - at this stage it looks like it’ll be a line ball result. So there’s not a lot to celebrate for the Labor Party - there’s certainly nothing to crow about,” said the Prime Minister.
Mr Turnbull says the real test of public opinion is the next federal election. But the Prime Minister has admitted the Coalition must dissect the by-election results. “We will look very seriously and thoughtfully and humbly at the way in which the voters have responded. I mean, clearly we look at the - the real test of a public opinion, and political opinion is obviously at elections. By-elections do have special characteristics, for all the reasons we understand. We will be carefully considering the analysis of the by-elections, particularly in Braddon and in Longman,” said Mr Turnbull.
The only new face to join parliament after the polls is Labor’s Patrick Gorman.
He succeeds party colleague Tim Hammond in the seat of Perth, who resigned from his post for family reasons.
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