Labor set to flip two marginal Vic seats

Two marginal Liberal-held Victorian seats are on track to change hands, taking Labor a step closer to forming government. With more than 35 per cent of the vote counted, Chisholm and Higgins MPs Gladys Liu and Katie Allen have recorded strong early swings to Labor challengers Carina Garland and Michelle Ananda-Rajah. There has been a 6.2 per cent swing to Ms Garland in Chisholm, slightly more than Dr Ananda-Rajah in Higgins at 5.9 per cent. The swings are projected to flip the seats from red to blue once preferences are distributed, according to the ABC. Meanwhile, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is under serious threat of losing his blue ribbon seat of Kooyong in Melbourne’s inner east to “teal” Independent Monique Ryan. He has his nose just in front on primary votes, 42.3 per cent to 41.1 per cent, but has recorded a 10 per cent swing away to Dr Ryan. “Active hope,” Dr Ryan tweeted on Saturday night. The mood at Mr Frydenberg’s election party in Hawthorn has turned sombre and the Kooyong MP has not been sighted. If ousted, he would become the first sitting treasurer to lose his seat since Labor’s Ted Theodore in 1931. Former President of the Victorian Liberal Party Michael Kroger said it would be a disaster if Mr Frydenberg is booted. “He’s a future prime minister,” Mr Kroger told Sky News. “I have him in rarefied air of the great Liberals I’ve ever known. If there’s no place for Josh Frydenberg, the country is poorer for that.” The situation appears dire for fellow Liberal Tim Wilson in Goldstein, in Melbourne’s southeast. Former ABC journalist turned “teal” independent Zoe Daniel has claimed victory but Mr Wilson is yet to concede. More than 40 per cent of the vote has been counted so far, with a projected swing of 14 per cent to Ms Daniel. The seat has never fallen out of Liberal hands since its inception in 1984. “What we have achieved here is extraordinary. Safe Liberal seat, two-term incumbent, independent,” Ms Daniel told supporters. Former Victorian Liberal Deputy State Director Tony Barry said the voter backlash in heartland Liberal seats showed the party has lost its base. “It is a teal bath. I’ve got a feeling it is going to get worse before it gets worse,” he told ABC TV. Australian Associated Press

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Two marginal Liberal-held Victorian seats are on track to change hands, taking Labor a step closer to forming government.

With more than 35 per cent of the vote counted, Chisholm and Higgins MPs Gladys Liu and Katie Allen have recorded strong early swings to Labor challengers Carina Garland and Michelle Ananda-Rajah.

There has been a 6.2 per cent swing to Ms Garland in Chisholm, slightly more than Dr Ananda-Rajah in Higgins at 5.9 per cent.

The swings are projected to flip the seats from red to blue once preferences are distributed, according to the ABC.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is under serious threat of losing his blue ribbon seat of Kooyong in Melbourne’s inner east to “teal” Independent Monique Ryan.

He has his nose just in front on primary votes, 42.3 per cent to 41.1 per cent, but has recorded a 10 per cent swing away to Dr Ryan.

“Active hope,” Dr Ryan tweeted on Saturday night.

The mood at Mr Frydenberg’s election party in Hawthorn has turned sombre and the Kooyong MP has not been sighted.

If ousted, he would become the first sitting treasurer to lose his seat since Labor’s Ted Theodore in 1931.

Former President of the Victorian Liberal Party Michael Kroger said it would be a disaster if Mr Frydenberg is booted.

“He’s a future prime minister,” Mr Kroger told Sky News.

“I have him in rarefied air of the great Liberals I’ve ever known. If there’s no place for Josh Frydenberg, the country is poorer for that.”

The situation appears dire for fellow Liberal Tim Wilson in Goldstein, in Melbourne’s southeast.

Former ABC journalist turned “teal” independent Zoe Daniel has claimed victory but Mr Wilson is yet to concede.

More than 40 per cent of the vote has been counted so far, with a projected swing of 14 per cent to Ms Daniel.

The seat has never fallen out of Liberal hands since its inception in 1984.

“What we have achieved here is extraordinary. Safe Liberal seat, two-term incumbent, independent,” Ms Daniel told supporters.

Former Victorian Liberal Deputy State Director Tony Barry said the voter backlash in heartland Liberal seats showed the party has lost its base.

“It is a teal bath. I’ve got a feeling it is going to get worse before it gets worse,” he told ABC TV.

Australian Associated Press