Labor wins Werribee by-election but faces significant swing against it

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Labor has secured victory in the Werribee by-election, with the Liberal Party conceding defeat. However, the result saw a significant swing against Labor, signalling potential challenges ahead for the party.

Transcript

00:00High hopes and high energy at the polls. A week later it was a long walk to claim a knife

00:09edge victory. It's become clear that John Lister will be

00:12the new member for Werribee. Thank you Minister Williams.

00:17It was far too close to call on Saturday, but today after postal vote counting.

00:23Unfortunately today obviously we're conceding that we won't quite get over the line in Werribee.

00:29John Lister, now the new member for Werribee. From knocking on all those doors and campaigning

00:34actively to the count on Saturday, all the way through to the different forms of counting

00:39that have happened this week, I've never taken it for granted.

00:41Today he was flanked by the Transport Infrastructure Minister, the Premier remaining in regional

00:46Victoria. I'm actually really happy that Minister Williams

00:49is here because I'll probably chew her ear off about major projects.

00:52The latest figures from the VEC show Mr Lister ahead by less than 2% on a two party preferred

00:58basis. That translates to a margin of just 600 odd votes.

01:03It's a very strong message from voters who have moved away from Labor with a nearly 17%

01:08swing. The tight contest for the once safe seat has

01:11led to a reckoning for the Labor Party and a concession that more attention needs to

01:15be paid to Werribee and the West. I'd like them to clean up the place a bit,

01:20it's always dirty. I'd also like them to spend a bit more money on the roads, there's a lot

01:23of potholes. The roads because the traffic is horrible.

01:26Yeah, the roads please. The work starts now and I will continue to

01:30be doing that work all the way up until the next election.

01:35Already focused on the next electoral fight to come in 2026.

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