Labor’s national secretary has declared the surge in independents at the recent election was an acceleration of long-term political trends, while admitting safe seats can no longer be taken for granted.
In an address to the National Press Club, Paul Erickson said Labor’s victory could be attributed to the pitch for a better future, rather than a rejection of former prime minister Scott Morrison.
While voters had experienced “change fatigue” in the past term due to COVID and natural disasters, Mr Erickson said the electorate was ready for renewal.
“The prospect of putting COVID behind us and leaving the disorder of the last few years in the past would be a clear winner,” he said on Wednesday.
“Labor won the election because we talked about the future and we offered the country an alternative to more of the same.”
The speech came as Labor announced former cabinet minister Greg Combet and former WA assistant secretary Lenda Oshalem would lead the party’s review of its election campaign.
With a large number of independents elected at the May 21 poll at the expense of the major parties, Mr Erickson said both Labor and the Liberals should heed the results.
“There’s no such thing as a safe seat – we’re in an era where you have to campaign for every vote and you have to campaign thoroughly and properly in every electorate,” he said.
“What we saw at this election was an acceleration of some long-term trends which means that we just need to be reflective and look at what it means for us.”
Despite the election victory for Labor, Mr Erickson said there were still some challenges for the party to overcome during the next term.
Chief among them was the party’s primary vote, which fell to 32.6 per cent, lower than the levels at the 2019 poll which Labor lost.
“Our primary vote remains in the low 30s and it needs to grow,” Mr Erickson said.
“We face a major challenge to rebuild trust in our political institutions and restore confidence in the parliament.”
However, Mr Erickson remained confident a primary vote back above 40 per cent could be achieved, even in the wake of increasing independent MPs.
“There’s lots of examples around the world and through Australia’s history of a government like this one come into office in circumstances like this and then building its support through good government and by delivering on what it promised,” he said.
“That’s the challenge that’s in front of us, but no, I don’t accept here that we’re here in some new epoch or new era where everything is different.”
Despite gaining 10 seats at the election, the ALP campaign director said there will still be some areas that needed improvement.
“Queensland was one of only two states where the Labor primary (vote) increased but we didn’t gain any seats, and we lost Griffith to the Greens,” he said.
“There are challenges for Labor in Tasmania that the party needs to thoroughly examine.”
Labor’s campaign review will soon invite submissions from party members, candidates and affiliates and report back by the end of the year.
