Dutton Vows Liberals to Rebuild in Wake of Aston By-election

The Liberals’ candidate for Aston, Roshena Campbell, conceded defeat to Labor’s Mary Doyle on Saturday night, with Labor predicted to take the seat with a swing of more than six per cent.

Fronting the party faithful alongside Campbell, Dutton acknowledged it was a “tough night” for the Liberals, but said it wasn’t the party’s first.

The Liberals would listen to the people of Aston and grow stronger from the result, he said.

“We will work toward the next election to make sure that we’re in a much better and stronger position by the time of the next general election,” Dutton said.

“We gather together now, we rebuild, and I promise you we will never give in.”

Labor minister Ed Husic said traditional Liberal voters had abandoned the party because of their negativity in opposition.

“The Liberal Party’s addiction to negativity and to saying no has received a resounding no from their own voters in Aston,” he told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.

“The Liberal Party need a period of reflection and to think whether or not the approach they have always had once they go into opposition—the Tony Abbott approach to saying no to everything—is the way to go.”

But Husic said the historic result was no guarantee Labor would clean up at the next federal election, which could be called as early as the end of 2024.

“What it does require is for the Australian government to keep doing what it is, which is governing in a mature way, being able to deliver practically for the type of concerns people have.”

Dutton has said he will remain in the driver’s seat and fight on after a historic by-election loss.

“We have a lot of work to do, I accept responsibility as I’m the leader of the party,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.

The by-election result was being discussed as a test of his leadership.

Nations leader David Littleproud said Dutton remained the best person to lead the opposition.

“Peter is by far the best leader of the Liberal Party,” he said.

“I think sadly what I saw in this election was the personal character assassination that I thought stooped to a level that Australian politics shouldn’t.”

Pundits had expected the Liberals to retain the seat in line with historical trends.

The election result derails them, with a governing party not winning a seat off the opposition at a by-election in a century.

Doyle, a breast cancer survivor and former unionist who failed to take the seat at the last election, said even the most “optimistic true believers” had her pitted as the underdog in the Aston campaign.

“We were the underdog but boy, have we shown that we have a big bite,” she told the party faithful.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Ms Doyle, saying she had “made history.”

Labor said the win was a huge endorsement of Albanese’s leadership.

“It’s probably more a reflection of the federal government doing well,” NSW Premier Chris Minns told Sky News on Sunday.

“Getting a mid-term report card from the people of Australia that they like the direction of the Albanese government and they want to see more of it.”

Aston was held by the Liberals on a 2.8 per cent margin after former minister and outgoing member Alan Tudge suffered a large swing against him at the 2022 election.

The opposition leader said that state issues also played into the result with a dominant Labor government, and acknowledged inner-Melbourne seats had always been tough to win for the Liberals.

“Obviously, the difficulties for us in Victoria haven’t germinated in Aston over the course of the last five weeks,” he said on Saturday night.

“Even back to 2013, with all of my predecessors, Victoria is the one state that we have never held a majority of seats in and there are huge issues at a state level as well.”

Dutton said is leading a united team, which was hard from opposition after an election loss.

“Parties always tear themselves apart in opposition. We haven’t gone through that period of self-destruction,” he said.

“I have a leadership style which I believe they appreciate which is why people very strongly are expressing their support to me.”

“Now, the question is how we rebuild from here, the policies that we have, the brand rebuilding that we need to do in Victoria,” he told Insiders on Sunday.

“I can tell you it makes me more determined to rebuild this party and be in a winning position by 2025.”

By Cassandra Morgan and Dominic Giannini in Canberra