Two more marginal seats have been declared in Victoria, as the Labor government has welcomed new cabinet ministers after the party's election victory.
Just three seats remained in doubt in Victoria on Friday afternoon after the ABC called Hastings for Labor's Paul Mercurio and Mornington for Liberal Chris Crewther.
Mr Mercurio was one of the new Labor MPs at the party's first caucus meeting of the new term on Friday afternoon.
Caucus elected two new ministers to cabinet, Natalie Suleyman and Enver Erdogan, as part of a factional shake-up.
They will replace former veterans minister Shaun Leane and former employment minister Jaala Pulford, who announced her retirement in October.
On Thursday night, seven members of the party's Right faction defected to the Socialist Left, including Treasurer Tim Pallas.
It caused shock waves through Labor and further strengthened the power of the Premier's Socialist Left faction.
As ministerial positions are determined on a proportional representation of the factions in caucus, it left the Australian Workers Union segment of the Right over-represented in cabinet.
It meant that Mr Leane was forced out of cabinet. He will instead be nominated as the party's candidate for the upper house presidency, a position he has previously held.
It is understood some of the defectors moved because of ongoing instability within Labor's Right, with continued animosity between various sub-factions.
Joining the Socialist Left also offers protection from potential future preselection battles. Labor figures say it has very little to do with ideology.
The portfolio appointments will be confirmed in coming days.
Paul Mercurio wins Hastings after close count
Mr Mercurio, Labor candidate and star of Strictly Ballroom, has won the ultra-marginal seat of Hastings, delivering the party its 53rd seat in the 88-seat lower house.
The electorate covers French Island and the western shore of Western Port Bay, including communities such as Hastings, Cranbourne South and Devon Meadows.
The ABC initially projected Mr Mercurio would win the seat on election night, but later counting put the seat back in doubt.
On Friday afternoon, with 83.8 per cent of the Hastings vote counted on Friday, Mr Mercurio was on 51 per cent after preferences and could be declared the new member for Hastings.
He won against Liberals' Briony Hutton, a former Greg Hunt staffer.
Liberal Party retains Mornington after teal challenge
Liberal Chris Crewther has won Mornington, defeating a challenge from teal independent Kate Lardner.
The electorate of Mornington begins at the start of the Mornington Peninsula and takes in communities such as Mount Eliza and Mount Martha as well as the suburb of the same name.
On Friday afternoon, he was on 50.6 per cent of the vote after preferences with 85 per cent of the vote counted.
Mr Crewther defeated Liberal MP David Morris for pre-selection and was previously federal MP for Dunkley from 2013 to 2016.
His challenger, Dr Lardner, was one of a number of independents backed by the Climate 200 group who ran in formerly safe Liberal seats.
In a tweet Dr Lardner conceded the race, but claimed that "Mornington will never be a safe seat again" following the close contest.
The count was also close in Hawthorn, where Liberal John Pesutto was declared the victor on Wednesday.
However, unlike at the federal election, none of the teal challengers were able to claim seats.
There are unlikely to be any independents in the lower house for the next term of government, with four Greens making up the crossbench.
By late Friday, three seats remained in doubt — Pakenham, where Liberal and Labor were too close to call, Bass, where Labor was leading the count against the Liberals, and Preston, where Labor was leading against an independent challenger.
The regional electorate of Narracan will go back to the polls next year after the death of the Nationals' candidate forced the vote to be deferred.
