Jodie Belyea has been re-elected as the member for Dunkley. Belyea comfortably retained her seat during an outstanding night for the Labor Party. Labor will form government, and have a majority in Parliament for the next three years.
Belyea’s Liberal challenger was former Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy. The two also contested the march 2024 by-election – on Saturday Belyea expanded her winning margin.
As of 5 May, Belyea leads Conroy by 7.1 percent on the two-party-preferred count with roughly
74 percent of the vote counted. Belyea leads the first-preference count by more than 5000 votes.
As of 5 May the Greens have secured a little under 12 percent of the first preference vote in Dunkley. One Nation has 6.5 percent and Legalise Cannabis just under 5 percent. Independent Robert Thurley received 2.9 percent of first preferences votes, Family First’s Peter Nicholes received 2.3 percent, and FUSION candidate Andrew Gatley received 0.9 percent.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed victory on Saturday night. During a speech to supporters he said “it is with a deep sense of humility and a profound sense of responsibility that the first thing that I do tonight is to say thank you to the people of Australia for the chance to continue to serve the best nation on earth.
”We have everything we need to seize this moment, and make it out own, but we must do it together, all of us. Because for Australia to realise our full potential, for our nation to be the very best, every Australian must have the opportunity to be the best.”
In a short statement released on 4 May. Belyea said “Thank you Dunkley. And thank you Australia. I am honoured to continue working for our wonderful community.”
In Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus has secured a big win to retain the seat he has held since 2007. Flinders remains too close to call, with incumbent MP Zoe McKenzie facing tough challenges from Independent Ben Smith and Labor’s Sarah Race.
First published in the Frankston Times – 6 May 2025