The Labor Party is poised to have a significantly more cooperative Senate in the current parliament, enhancing its chances of executing the policy initiatives presented in the recent election. Early elections results suggest that the Albanese government is likely to secure at least two additional seats, one each from South Australia and Queensland. Ongoing counts in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia indicate that Labor candidates are also leading for the final available Senate positions, although a substantial portion of the vote has yet to be tallied.
Provisional results suggest that, even without any additional seats from those states, Labor will hold 27 seats, requiring only 12 more votes to pass legislation. The Greens are expected to retain all their upper house seats, despite experiencing a significant setback in the House of Representatives. If the Greens maintain their position, Labor would only need to negotiate with them and one independent senator to secure passage of its bills, especially if faced with opposition from the Coalition.
David Pocock, an independent senator from the ACT, has emerged prominently, outperforming some established Labor figures. Should Labor increase its seats to 28 or more, it would be able to rely solely on the Greens’ support for legislative action.
Despite Labour’s apparent gains, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed the importance of remaining grounded and focusing on the party’s existing mandate. He assured that the government would continue to pursue its agenda, including initiatives in clean energy, childcare, gender equality, and education, without overstepping its electoral brief. Albanese conveyed an openness to collaboration, mentioning a willingness to engage with Jacqui Lambie regarding veterans’ affairs, underscoring his respect for her contributions, regardless of her uncertain electoral outcome in Tasmania.
In Queensland, One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts is in a similar struggle for re-election as Lambie, while other parties such as Legalise Cannabis look poised to impact the Senate landscape. Overall, the final composition and dynamics of the Senate will become clearer as the counting process continues, but early indications paint a positive picture for Labor’s legislative ambitions during this parliamentary term.