Labor heartland vibes: Pale ale flows freely, bundle of nerves evaporate

The Age

03-05-2025

Back in Hursltone Park, NSW senator Deb O'Neill was first in the room among Labor parliamentarians, well before the scale of the bloodbath had become clear. She was shortly followed by her Senate colleague, Tim Ayres, who was swiftly bowled up by Labor-aligned lobbyist Eamonn Fitzpatrick.
By the time the victorious PM arrived shortly after 10pm, the mood was jubilant. Albanese was preceded by the arrival of Labor elder statesman and ex-treasurer Wayne Swan and campaign supremo Paul Erickson. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, a fan favourite among the rank and file, revved up the crowd before introducing the PM, shedding tears of joy and relief as Albanese began his victory speech.
Bennelong x Brethren x Abbott
Earlier in the day, embattled Liberal candidate Scott Yung tried to save a controversy-soaked campaign in John Howard 's old seat of Bennelong with the help of the Exclusive Brethren's hordes, and former PM Tony Abbott.
Saturday night's results swiftly made it clear how much that backfired. Speaking to media in the morning, PM28 bemoaned the lack of sausage sizzle at Eastwood Public
'I felt like breakfast actually,' Abbott told our correspondent.
As CBD reported, former Liberal leaders have kept a low profile through the campaign. Malcolm Turnbull is out of the country. Scott Morrison popped up for a spot of campaigning in the shire – because he's only allowed in safe seats. But even he didn't fumble the bag quite like Dutton.
Moore support
The AFL is traditionally avowedly apolitical. Given every single politician of every political stripe plays feverish fealty to the Australian Football League city state, why would it bother doing anything else?
So it was exciting to see Collingwood captain Darcy Moore come out and declare political support for an election candidate on Friday.
No matter that the said candidate was hundreds of kilometres from Moore's inner Melbourne electorate. The candidate bestowed with the Moore seal of approval was none other than Alex Dyson, the former Triple J announcer turned teal independent candidate standing in the Victorian Surf Coast seat of Wannon, hoping to wrest it from Liberal Dan Tehan.
Over a pic of Dyson and Moore at a music event, Moore wrote on Instagram: 'Big week for the DJ duo. One back on the MCG and one getting elected to the FEDERAL PARLIAMENT!!! @aedyson bring it home.'
Moore also tagged Collingwood Football Club in his post, which surely didn't appreciate it. The club was traditionally an old Labor working-class stronghold.
Late on Saturday night, Dyson's chances of securing the seat from Tehan – the third time he has tried – were looking shaky.
Camera shy
Spotted: The Melbourne lord mayor sporting not the mayoral robes but a red Labor T-shirt at Bell Primary School, dutifully handing out for Labor MP Ged Kearney. Beyond the boundary of the City of Melbourne local government area in the federal electorate of Cooper, the LM is just plain old Nick Reece to you and I. When approached for a photo and on-the-record comment, Reece was uncharacteristically demure. The lord mayor declining publicity? Must be a first.
Now you see it
This unexpected political poster was spotted by Age photographer Jason South at Balwyn Primary School in Kooyong, held by teal independent Monique Ryan. It is the work of Hothouse Magazine, which the ABC reports has spent at least $400,000 this year, mainly attacking the Coalition. It has also runs ads in this masthead.
The Liberal Party takes a dim view of Hothouse and has accused it of being a 'cashed-up activist group' that poses as a news outlet.
The poster was authorised by one Matt Bray, the Hothouse 'chief editor', whom the ABC reports has a background in arts and activism.
CBD quiz time
Is it a meme? Is it a piece of abstract art?
No, it is actually Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at a polling booth at Albany Creek State School on Election Day, caught in the moment by the incomparable James Brickwood.
Beagling to the polling booth
Simon Holmes à Court, the financial engine behind the teal movement, was perfectly accessorised for a trip to his local polling booth in the teal stronghold of Kooyong on Saturday, with Kingston – his nine-year-old Beaglier dog – who was sporting a natty bandana featuring teal MP Monique Ryan.
Holmes à Court has lived in Hawthorn for more than 20 years and is the convener of Climate 200, which is contributing financial backing to many teals.
Fascinatingly, he used to be a member of Kooyong 200, former Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg's fundraising vehicle, before he was ousted after a falling out over fossil fuel power stations, one of the most consequential beefs in political history.
Holmes à Court, son of Australia's first billionaire Robert Holmes à Court, would not be drawn about how the teal army was faring, but was happy to discuss Kingston's fashion choices.
The bandana is actually a vintage piece circa 2022, recycled from old campaign T-shirts and refashioned. Peak teal.
A taste for it
One of the more surprising federal election candidates was former AFL star Anthony 'Kouta' Koutoufides, who stood in the seat of Melbourne, held by Greens leader Adam Bandt.
CBD's operative found him handing out flyers outside St Ignatius Church Hall in the inner-eastern suburb of Richmond.
Kouta got a taste for politics last year when he ran for the lord mayor of Melbourne and made finals, coming fourth.
'I think I ran a really good campaign my first time ever going into politics,' he says. 'I believe I can help … a lot of businesses are struggling and safety and cost-of-living are a problem.'
While Kouta is in it to win it (what former sports star wouldn't be?) some political observers think that his major contribution in the seat will be as a preference funnel for the Liberal candidate Stephanie Hunt, whose dad Malcolm was spotted dutifully handing out Liberal flyers over the river at the South Yarra Library.
Koutoufides told us he didn't think much about the preference strategy as he left it to his team. Well, he did used to play for that bastion of business and the Liberal Party, Carlton.
A passing young man yells 'you've got my vote, Kouta!' , much to Koutoufides' delight. In fact, so delighted was Kouta that hours later he was again spotted, still at the same voting centre. Not exactly adequate ground game, we think.
Laurie sounds off
There was a time when former Nine news political editor Laurie Oakes could move the national political dial, having once been in receipt of crucial details of the federal budget before it was announced to the nation. Oakes retired in 2017 and has been content to stay out of political coverage, save for some Statler and Waldorf style harrumphs from the sidelines.