Peter Malinauskas says the landslide Labor win is a privilege.
Photo: ABC News / Dean Faulkner
Labor has comfortably won re-election in South Australia, while One Nation appears to have achieved its best electoral result anywhere in the country in nearly 30 years.
In a result the ABC’s chief election analyst Casey Briggs described as “an earthquake” that would have implications all around the country, the Liberal Party’s vote has dramatically collapsed with One Nation’s support rising enormously.
As counting continues, One Nation is polling more than 21 percent of the vote – ahead of the Liberals on around 19 percent.
It is shaping as the strongest result the right-wing party has secured at any federal or statewide election anywhere in Australia since the 1998 Queensland poll.
Speaking outside his home before heading to the official Labor function, Peter Malinauskas told reporters he was “humbled” by the resounding result.
“It’s obviously an extraordinary privilege,” he said.
“It’s been the privilege of my life outside of having such a beautiful family and I’m just looking forward to be able to continue the work going, keeping the momentum of South Australia.”
Speaking at the official function, Malinauskas said that although the result was “the best result our party has ever achieved, it’s very important that no one confuses tonight’s result as adulation”.
He said it instead should be seen as an invitation to continue to “work our guts out for the next four years”.
Malinauskas said SA was a “great state in the most magnificent of countries”.
“We can, and we should, wave our flag with pride, knowing that Aussie patriotism sometimes means sitting with a stranger and having a cuppa or a frothy and arguing about the footy – not our faith,” he said.
“So that when we sing the national anthem with pride, we don’t forget there is a second verse, which reminds us, it reminds us that we all, when we all combine, we can achieve anything together.
“When we work together, diversity has always been our greatest strength.”
Briggs said Premier Peter Malinauskas had secured a second term with a significantly increased majority.
Labor is also projected to hold a majority in Parliament’s lower house.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says the rest of Australia will be watching the results.
Photo: ABC News
Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn retained her seat of Schubert, in the state’s Barossa Valley region.
She previously held the seat with a margin of 11.9 percent and has had an almost 6 percent swing against her based on primary votes.
Speaking at the Liberal Party headquarters, Hurn said despite the result, there was still hope for the Liberals in SA.
“The pundits, they said that we wouldn’t get a single seat but tonight we will prove them wrong,” she said.
“We have done a fantastic job across South Australia.
“I am a proud Liberal. I love this party. I love what we stand for.”
Ms Hurn also acknowledged her predecessor, former SA Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia, who has lost his seat of Hartley.
Liberal supporters abandoned the party in significant numbers, particularly in metropolitan Adelaide – where the Opposition’s vote collapsed.
Earlier, Briggs said that despite Labor’s landside win the results would continue to be deciphered.
“There are a lot of results still to pick through and a very complicated picture on the conservative side of politics, but there’s one thing that we’re pretty sure of at this point, and that is that the Labor government has been re-elected,” he said.
Whether the One Nation voting surge leads to the party securing Lower House votes remains unclear and will depend on preference flows, with counting set to continue in the coming days.
The party’s federal leader Pauline Hanson received a jubilant welcome at her party’s function, which the ABC was prevented from attending.
“The last time I saw a crowd like this was when we won 11 seats in Queensland in 1998. 1998 – that’s how long ago it was,” she said.
“I think the rest of Australia is going to be watching what’s happening here tonight.
“I’d say to Peter Malinauskas … guess what mate? I’m leaving you some landmines, they’re called One Nation members of Parliament. I’d suggest don’t step on them because they will explode – and that’s what we’re here for.”
One Nation lead candidate Cory Bernardi said he was “smiling because today an earthquake has rattled the foundations of uni-party politics in South Australia”.
“This is not a protest against the uni-party, this is a declaration that things are not good enough in South Australia, are not good enough in Australia and they want a viable alternative,” he said.
“We are the voice of the forgotten South Australians.”
Cory Bernardi.
Photo: Screenshot: ABC
Earlier, SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis said there was “no chance of arrogance” from Malinauskas or the Labor Party, despite tonight’s win.
“Peter is a once in a generation leader … he has transformed the Labor Party,” he said.
“If the South Australian public sees us acting arrogantly they’ll punish us accordingly, and so they should.”
Liberal senator Anne Ruston said she thought Liberal leader Ashton Hurn was “a brilliant leader” and that she would still be the party’s leader in the morning.
“I would say to all of my colleagues, Ashton is a brilliant leader, she’s proved herself over the last three months and anybody who doesn’t want to get behind Ashton and support her as our leader going forward, quite frankly, should rethink about whether they really want to be in the Liberal Party.”
– ABC News