Australian Federal election 2025 recap: Ley reveals next steps for Libs after Dutton’s election bloodbath
Scroll down for to recap the day’s events as they happened.
Key Events
Chalmers basking in crushing Labor victory
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says last night’s huge election win is still sinking in.
Speaking earlier on ABC’s Insiders, Mr Chalmers said the win was “beyond even our most optimistic expectations.
“It was a history making night.”
The victory comes, though, with “healthy healthy helpings of humility as well,” Mr Chalmers said.
“We know that there are a lot of challenges to address in our economy and more broadly we know that people are under pressure.”
“We know the global environment is uncertain, and we know that this second term has been given to us by the Australian people because they want stability in uncertain times.
“Not because they think we’ve solved every challenge in our economy or in our society more broadly, but because we’re better placed to work towards solving some of those challenges.
“So there is an element of humility and there’s a lot of gratitude to the Australian people.”

Labor’s ‘Easy’ victory music to Prime Minister’s ears
Exiting the Bar Italia cafe, Anthony Albanese was met by local record store owner Joshua Gibbs who gave him a mono original Australian pressing of the classic album Easy by the Easybeats.
Mr Gibbs said he was headed to work when he saw the media pack and decided to rustle through his stock for an appropriate album to mark the PM’s election victory.
He’s met Mr Albanese before, with the noted music fan dropping into the record store previously to add to his vinyl collection.
Mr Gibbs described the election result as “stunning” and “one of the craziest” he had seen.
‘I feel for Peter Dutton’: Albanese gives details of concession call
Anthony Albanese said he’d had a “very warm” conversation with Peter Dutton last night when the opposition leader rang to concede.
“I feel for Peter Dutton. He was generous in his comments,” he said.
“I wish him and Kirilly and his family all the best. It’s a tough business politics, there’s no doubt about that, and it would have been a tough night for Peter, but he was generous.”
He said Mr Dutton had been very kind in mentioning the Prime Minister’s mother and family during that conversation and in his concession speech.
“I used to visit this coffee shop with my mum, I grew up just down the road here, and I did certainly think of her last night as well,” Mr Albanese said.
“She would be very proud, but I’m very proud. of the Labor team that I lead.”
He was joined by Finance Minister and confidante Katy Gallagher and Bennelong MP Jerome Laxale, who has increased his margin despite his seat becoming notionally Liberal after the boundaries were redrawn.
“He just put his head down, did the work and didn’t complain about that bit of a rough deal when you win a seat and then it gets turned back the other way,” Mr Albanese said of his caucus colleague.
“That’s the sort of discipline that our team showed.
“We will be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term, just like we have been in our first.
“We’ve been given the great honour of serving the Australian people. And we don’t take it for granted and we’ll work hard each and every day.”
Albo’s team out for Sunday coffee as world leaders continue to reach out
Anthony Albanese is celebrating his stunning victory over a coffee with old friends and supporters at a Leichhardt cafe he used to visit with his mother.
He said he was feeling very positive but not getting carried away with things and will head back to Canberra to get to work shortly.
“I was always pretty, pretty positive about an outcome, and I knew that we had a positive agenda … and I think that the other side had a plan for higher taxes, higher deficits for two years and just cuts,” he said.
“The Australian people voted for unity rather than division.”
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape phoned him before 8pm on Saturday night, though Mr Albanese said he’d told his friend it was too early.
He’s also had a long chat with New Zealand leader Christopher Luxon and fielded messages from Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.
Later today he will speak with Volodymyr Zekensky and Prabowo Subianto.
How Peter Dutton marched the Liberals to a crushing defeat
The Nightly’s Aaron Patrick has run a lens over what will become one of the heaviest defeats for a major political party in Australia’s history, and explains how Peter Dutton got it all wrong.
On Australia Day, with polls and betting markets predicting Peter Dutton was cruising to power, the Liberal leader said Jacinta Price would be minister for government efficiency in a Coalition government, Patrick explains.
The Trump-inspired appointment thrilled many conservatives -- Mr Dutton’s natural supporters -- who hoped Senator Price would bring an Elon Musk-style chainsaw to what they considered wasteful Indigenous and other social programs.
In hindsight, it was a warning signal for Mr Dutton’s go-from-the-gut decision-making style: instead of years carefully planning detailed and well-crafted policies, the ex-policeman left important decisions late and seemed to make up answers during press conferences.
Who is the woman who unseated Peter Dutton?
In an extraordinary turn of events, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton not only lost the election, but the seat he has held since 2001.
So who is the Labor candidate who unseated the leader of the Liberal National Party?
Ali France, a former journalist and world champion para-athlete, made the historic win in the division of Dickson on her third attempt campaigning for the seat.
The 49-year-old Arana Hills local and disability advocate said she and her family have experienced firsthand the importance of Medicare and disability support.
France lost her leg in a horrific accident in 2011, after an elderly driver hit accelerate instead of reverse in a shopping centre car park, pinning her to a wall, as her infant son became trapped beneath the car.
Independents strengthen positions with most experiencing swings
Independents are here to stay with teal MPs retaining their seats, largely with more support after making history at the last election.
So-called “teals” Allegra Spender in Wentworth, Zali Steggall in Warringah, Sophie Scamps in Mackellar, Monique Ryan in Kooyong, Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and Kate Chaney in Curtin will return to parliament.
All received swings toward them, apart from Ms Daniel, whose just over three per cent margin was whittled down 1.1 per cent by the Liberals.
They could also be joined by Nicolette Boele, who is ahead with more than half the vote counted after taking a slight swing toward her in the former Liberal heartland of Bradfield in Sydney’s north.
Crossbench stalwarts Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines, Bob Katter and Rebekha Sharkie retained their seats.
‘We’re mates’: World leaders message Albo after Labor’s victory
World leaders have sent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulation messages after Labor’s landslide victory secured a second term in government.
Among the well-wishers was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I wish you continued success in serving the people of Australia and delivering meaningful achievements,” Mr Zelensky said in a post on X.
“Ukraine sincerely values Australia’s unwavering support and its principled stance on ending Russia’s war and securing a dignified and lasting peace.”
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his “heartfelt congratulations”.
Labor’s victory lap begins after Australia delivers massive mandate
Current Minister for Housing Murray Watt has appeared on Weekend Sunrise to celebrate Labor’s victory in the Federal election, and he spoke about their focus on winning seats in Queensland.
“I mean coming from Queensland, we’re obviously ecstatic about the result there,” Mr Watt said on Sunday morning.
“We’ve doubled our representation in Queensland and maybe we’ll get even more.
“Getting those seats back off the Greens was a key priority for us. We actually started campaigning to win those seats back at least 18 months ago.
“By pointing people to the fact that whatever the Greens said when they were jumping on stages or running around doing protests when they got to Canberra, they blocked housing from being built.
“They blocked progress on environmental reform. So all of the things that they said they cared about, they went to Canberra and actually voted with Peter Dutton to delay progress being made.
“And I think that’s really come back to hurt them.”
Liberal leaders emerging after Dutton demolition
Early contenders for the Liberal leadership are emerging after Peter Dutton’s shock defeat left a vacuum at the head of the party.
Mr Dutton became the first opposition leader to lose his seat in a federal election, while a host of frontbench colleagues were also booted from parliament in a humbling night for the Liberals.
The coalition suffered a negative 3.2 per cent swing on Saturday night, with senior MPs, such as Michael Sukkar and David Coleman, also set to lose their seats.
The two front-runners that have emerged from the rubble are shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and defence spokesman Andrew Hastie, who both defied the trend to increase their margins, by the time counting ceased.
