The Liberal Party is poised to win the Prahran by-election, with Rachel Westaway set to take the seat previously held by Greens MP Sam Hibbins, according to ABC’s chief election analyst Antony Green. Westaway currently leads with 51.6% of the two-candidate preferred vote, ahead of the Greens’ Angelica Di Camillo by 954 votes, after all polling day, pre-poll, and returned postal votes have been counted. The Greens won the polling day vote, but the Liberal Party secured a majority through pre-poll votes and claimed nearly two-thirds of the postal vote. A small number of postal votes are still to be counted. This victory would mark the Liberal Party’s return to a seat they last held in 2010.
Westaway ran on a law-and-order platform, promising to address various social issues affecting the area. “I remember Prahran as it once was — the Beverly Hills of Melbourne. It was iconic,” Westaway said during her campaign. “Everyone wanted to visit Chapel Street, which runs through the electorate, but we’ve seen it deteriorate. There’s been crime, homelessness, graffiti, and vacant shops.”
In the Werribee by-election, the result is still uncertain, as the race remains too close to call. Labor has faced a significant swing against it, and both major parties ended the night with under 30% of the primary vote. While Labor secured the majority of the polling day vote, the final result remains unclear due to the high number of pre-poll votes. Historically, Werribee has been a Labor stronghold, with the party holding the seat since 1979.
Both by-elections are seen as a test for both the state and federal Labor governments, as well as an indicator of the Liberal Party’s electoral prospects, with the Liberals having been out of power in Victoria since 2014.