The Deakin swing seat in Melbourne has officially switched to Labour, marking a significant defeat for long-standing Liberal MP Michael Sukkar. In the previous election, Sukkar secured his position with a slim margin of just 0.2 per cent, which has been further reduced to a precarious 0.02 per cent due to recent boundary revisions.
As the current shadow housing minister, Sukkar faced a challenging election this year, experiencing a notable decline of nearly 5 per cent in his primary vote as 25 per cent of the ballots were counted.
Deakin, traditionally a stronghold for the Liberal Party, covering affluent eastern suburbs like Ringwood, Blackburn, Croydon, and Nunawading, had been under their control for all but three elections since its establishment in 1937.
Following Sukkar’s departure after 12 years in office, Matt Gregg, a lawyer and educator who nearly won the seat in the 2022 election, has been chosen to succeed him.