As the red wave swept Tasmania on election night, it wasn’t just federal Labor Party that was celebrating the ‘extraordinary result. Northern Tasmania has dramatically swung to Labor in a surprise result that pushed out a well-liked local MP – turning a safe Liberal seat red.
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00:00Going into the night, it was a seat held comfortably by the Liberals.
00:07But it didn't take long for the North West Tasmanian seat of Braddon
00:11to be scooped up by a former Labor Senator.
00:14Very excited actually, very excited. It was a big hill to climb.
00:18And it wasn't the island state's only northern seat to change hands.
00:23Unfortunately tonight I'm a bit emotional because we haven't had the result that we hoped for.
00:28Bridget Archer faced a slimmer margin in Bass but she was still the favourite.
00:33A moderate maverick who once crossed the floor to censure her leader,
00:37she was unseated by former teacher Jess Teasdale.
00:41I think even up until today not many people at all, if any, thought we could actually do this.
00:48Labor's campaign leveraging a perceived distrust in Tasmania of the Liberal leader appears to have worked.
00:55Our campaign in Bass has been to say you can like Bridget Archer but if you vote for her you get Peter Dutton.
01:01I was absolutely over the moon and I think it's the end of the Scott Morrison era with getting rid of Peter Dutton.
01:09I've never seen such a laughable portfolio of policies.
01:12I mean the nuclear thing is just, it's uneconomic, it's unproven.
01:17Slightly disappointed that Labor was in. I would like to see more independents.
01:22Popular independent Andrew Wilkie was returned in the southern seat of Clark with Labor claiming the remaining four of Tasmania's five seats.
01:31Former state Labor leader Rebecca White claimed victory in Lyons while Cabinet Minister Julie Collins was returned in Franklin.
01:42While it's an extraordinary result, Tasmania is no stranger to wiping out a party seats at a federal election.
01:50And historically it's been the Liberals who've been shown the door.
01:54Precedented or not, it's a devastating blow for Tasmanian Liberals.