Labor claims win in Melbourne as Greens leader Adam Bandt concedes defeat

Greens leader Adam Bandt has conceded conclusion successful his spot of Melbourne aft 15 years serving nan electorate.

"A short clip agone I called nan Labor campaigner for Melbourne, Sarah Witty, to concede, to congratulate her and to wish her each nan champion arsenic nan adjacent personnel for Melbourne," Bandt said.

"The Greens sewage nan highest ballot successful Melbourne but One Nation and Liberal preferences will get Labor complete nan line."

Voting preferences and caller bound changes successful nan electorate contributed to an insurmountable "Everest" for nan Greens, Bandt said.

"To triumph successful Melbourne, we needed to flooded Liberal, Labor and One Nation mixed and it's an Everest we've climbed a fewer times now, but this clip we fell conscionable short," he said.

Recent bound changes meant nan electorate mislaid left-leaning voters successful nan northbound to Wills, and gained emblematic Labor voters to nan south, successful South Yarra and Prahran.

"A batch of caller group southbound of nan stream were moved in, group who we didn't person a immense magnitude of clip pinch to make specified a heavy relationship pinch and this made nan separator much, overmuch tighter," Bandt said.

The Greens leader since 2020 and Melbourne MP since 2010, Bandt thanked voters for conveying a "message of hope" during nationalist issues specified arsenic nan matrimony equality plebiscite and nan Voice referendum, wherever nan electorate recorded nan highest votes of support successful nan country.

"I want to convey Melbourne voters for regularly giving maine nan highest vote, including successful this election, and to convey you for nan past 15 years and nan chance to do immoderate astonishing things together," he said.

Bandt is nan 2nd statement leader to beryllium voted retired of parliament astatine this election, pursuing Peter Dutton being turfed from his spot of Dickson.

The guidance leader's unsuccessful run whitethorn person helped Labor adjacent nan woody successful Melbourne, Bandt said.

"That immense rip tide from Liberal to Labor had an effect connected america arsenic well," he said.

"People successful Melbourne dislike Peter Dutton, and pinch very bully reason.

"My first return is that immoderate votes leaked distant from america to Labor arsenic group saw Labor arsenic nan champion action to extremity Dutton."

Subway franchisee turned kindness leader wins seat

Incoming Melbourne MP Sarah Witty has taken to societal media to convey constituents and "heart and soul" grassroots Labor volunteers for helping elite her to parliament.

"Friends, I americium excited and humbled to person been elected arsenic nan adjacent Labor MP for Melbourne," Witty wrote, alongside an image pinch volunteers and chap statement members including Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

"After each our difficult work, voters person fixed america their spot and support to get things done and build our early together.

"There's a batch to do including to fortify Medicare, slash HECS, and build much renewable energy, and I can't hold to beryllium a portion of a Labor squad that delivers for our community."

The Melbourne section thanked her chap candidates for their efforts, on pinch nan exiting MP.

"I would besides for illustration to convey Adam Bandt for his work to our organization and wish him and his family each nan very champion for nan future."

On her run website, Witty is described arsenic a foster genitor of 10 years and an "experienced leader of for-purpose organisations".

Her varied profession includes roles successful nan existent property manufacture and positions successful firm banking and insurance.

She besides boasts raising a pipeline of much than $110 cardinal for societal and affordable lodging done not-for-profit Homes For Homes. 

In a video posted to Instagram, Witty said she decided to participate authorities aft she "saw immoderate disadvantage successful nan world and decided that we tin do more".

"I've seen tons of disadvantage done my clip successful galore different roles and I really want to make judge that each personification gets nan champion chance to unrecorded nan champion life they deserve," she said. 

Witty's LinkedIn page lists her arsenic a erstwhile Subway franchisee betwixt 2008 and 2011.

She presently heads The Nappy Collective, a not-for-profit that provides free nappies for families successful need.

She is besides a Foster Care Association Victoria committee member. 

It's not Witty's first changeable astatine authorities - she was narrowly defeated successful Yarra City Council's 2024 election, and besides ran arsenic a campaigner successful nan 2022 vote.

She has been nan Richmond branch vice president of nan Victorian Labor Party since November. 

Greens headed for statement revamp 

The Greens person besides conceded conclusion successful Brisbane and Griffith, while Elizabeth Watson-Brown looks group to clasp Ryan.

Bandt was nan first to move an electorate Green successful nan little location erstwhile he won nan inner-northern Melbourne spot from Labor successful 2010.

He was successfully re-elected astatine nan adjacent 4 elections, winning nan 2022 vote count pinch a 6.5 per cent margin.

Bandt will exit parliament pinch nan Greens holding nan equilibrium of powerfulness successful nan Senate.

"It has been a joyousness to correspond you and I dream I've made you proud," he said.

"I'm really proud of what I've achieved arsenic a leader."

The unseating of Bandt has near nan Greens leaderless.

A caller leader will beryllium voted connected successful a statement room gathering adjacent week.

Until then, Greens legislator Nick McKim will enactment arsenic caretaker for nan party.

Senators Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young are considered nan frontrunners for nan role.

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