Polls close and counting begins in crucial Dunkley by-election

Anthony Albanese says Dunkley seat is ‘in the hands of voters’ as polls open

Polls have closed and counting has begun in a crucial Victorian by-election, with a possibility of the outer Melbourne seat flipping to the Liberals.

Voters were sent to the polls for the seat of Dunkley after Labor MP Peta Murphy died from breast cancer.

The results will likely set the tone for the next federal election.

Candidate for Dunkley Jodie Belyea and Nathan Conroy.

The electorate covers several suburbs including Frankston, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin and Sandhurst.

Dunkley was considered a safe Labor seat, with a 6.3 per cent margin, however, political experts say the both the Coalition and the Albanese Government will be watching closely, as a temperature check on voters before the next federal election.

9News Political Editor Charles Croucher said the Dunkley electorate mimicked middle Australia, which is so pivotal to the political landscape.

“In the cities, liberal seats are under siege from the teals, Labor seats from the greens and the outer suburbs have become the path to power for the major parties,” Croucher said.

Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Weekend Today that he knows by-elections can be tough for the government.

“The average swing in a by-election is against the government of 7.1 per cent. We hold the seat by 6.3 per cent, so you can do the maths,” Albanese said.

“It’s in the hands of the voters today, we’re put forward very clearly, the best candidate in Jodie Belyea, who will carry on the work of the magnificent Peta Murphy.

“No one in this local community wanted this byelection because Peta Murphy was taken from us too soon at age 50 sadly.

“One of the things Peta did was recruit Jodie Belyea to the Labor Party to carry on her legacy of strong advocacy and working for this local community, and I’m very confident that Jodie Belyea will do just that.

“She’s a local mum. She’s not a career politician. She’s got a mortgage, she understands this local community.”

Nathan Conroy is the current mayor of Frankston.

Belyea, the founder of a local volunteer group that offers health and wellbeing programs for vulnerable women, was approached about running by Murphy about a year ago.

Local Liberal candidate, Nathan Conroy, is going up against her, in a race that’s expected to come down to the wire.

Conroy is the current mayor of Frankston.

He moved to Australia from Ireland at 19. He became the general manager of an inner-Melbourne bowling club a few years later before being elected to the council in 2020.

Both candidates say they want to tackle the cost of living crisis.