The weekend results, in particular the way they’re being read, haven’t only confirmed Labor’s trajectory but in doing so, have given the opposition, and Shorten especially, a huge confidence boost.
Late Saturday night, on counting so far, Lamb led the Liberal National Party’s Trevor Ruthenberg by 55-45% on the two-party vote – a swing to Labor of about 4%.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
The results are a deep disappointment for the government, which had hoped it might snatch at least one of the Braddon or Longman, and had hopes of winning Mayo although it quickly gave these up.
Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie is polling strongly ahead of next weekend’s byelection in the South Australian seat of Mayo.
AAP/Roy Vandervegt
With just over a week until the Super Saturday byelections, there is great interest in each of the five seats in play, including Mayo in South Australia.
Liberal candidate Georgina Downer, Greens candidate Major ‘Moogy’ Sumner, Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie and Labor candidate Reg Coutts at the Mayo candidates forum.
David Mariuz/AAP
The inflammatory ad runs as the government is making a last ditch effort against the odds to gather Senate support for the company tax legislation, due to be voted on this week.
Recently, hard-right Coalition MPs have not had as much influence on government policy as they used to, and Malcolm Turnbull is probably benefiting from this.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
The byelections, which span four states, are especially crucial for opposition leader Bill Shorten, because four are in ALP seats and two of those are on wafer thin margins.
Smith said he would take the issue to the party’s state council on Saturday.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Liberal backbench senator Dean Smith will challenge on Saturday his party’s decision not to field a candidate in the byelection for the federal seat of Perth.
Rebekha Sharkie’s seat of Mayo is the most likely to change hands at the byelection, after she resigned in the light of the dual citizenship saga.
AAP/Lukas Coch
While Labor is likely to win all four of the upcoming byelections in seats it holds, Rebekha Sharkie faces a tougher fight in the South Australian seat of Mayo.