Dutton Promises 'Graceful Silence' in Initial Comments Following Election Defeat

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Outgoing Liberal leader Peter Dutton has remained tight-lipped on the future of the party in his first public appearance since conceding defeat in Saturday’s election.

Touching down in Canberra on Wednesday afternoon, Dutton expressed gratitude for all the “very kind and generous” remarks since becoming the first Opposition leader to lose their seat in a federal election.

Dutton lost the outer-Brisbane seat of Dickson — which he had held for 24 years — . The result ended his leadership of the Liberal Party.

Fielding questions on the way to his car, Dutton refused to speculate about how the party plans to navigate the loss.

“I’ve spoken to my colleagues and Liberal Party rebuilds from here and that’s as it should be. I wish them all the very best,” he told reporters at Canberra airport.

Acting Opposition leader Sussan Ley is one of few contenders for the party’s leadership. Source: AAP

Dutton said the decision around who would become his successor also lay with his former colleagues.

“The best model I’ve seen is where leaders, former, make a graceful exit from politics and maintain a graceful silence,” he said.

While deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley is acting as the temporary Opposition leader, she is also one of the key contenders in the party’s internal battle for leadership.

Although no one has officially declared their candidacy, there is speculation that candidates include Opposition Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor and immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan.

Canavan proposes Nationals ‘break-up’ with Liberals

In his concession speech, Dutton took responsibility for the Liberal loss and apologised for a campaign that “clearly wasn’t good enough”.

The Liberals have been largely carved out of metropolitan and suburban areas, despite campaigning on cost of living policies such as cutting the fuel excise.

In contrast, the Nationals have retained most of their seats, losing only Calare in western NSW. They remain in a tight contest to swing the safe seat of Bendigo in country Victoria, following at least a 10 per cent swing from Labor.

It has prompted several senior National members to advocate for an increased role within the Coalition, with Senator Matt Canavan going as far as suggesting the party break up with the Liberals.

“The Nationals Party has been able to hold seats,” Canavan told Nine’s Today show on Wednesday morning.

“I do think with the way the Liberal Party is being pulled and pushed in different directions, there’s an opportunity for the country, for our Coalition, for the National Party to run in more seats.”

Liberal Tim Wilson claims victory amid other tight contests

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson has reclaimed his former seat of Goldstein in Melbourne from independent Zoe Daniel.

Wilson declared he had won at a press conference on Wednesday morning after postal votes resulted in him surpassing Daniel, who has not conceded.

A man sitting in the driver's seat of a blue van smiling with his arm out the window.

Liberal candidate Tim Wilson has claimed victory in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

“We had to defy political gravity to get here,” Wilson told reporters.

There are at least 12 seats that are still too close to call.

The Liberal Party hopes the Goldstein miracle can be replicated in several seats, leading by a mere few hundred votes.

This includes a bid to retain Longman in Queensland and the seats of Flinders and Monash in Victoria.

In Bradfield in Sydney’s north, Liberal Gisele Kapterian and independent Nicolette Boele have been battling in an extremely tight race. Kapterian leads with 221 votes.

In Bullwinkel, which spans Perth’s outer eastern suburbs and rural areas east of the West Australian capital, Labor’s Trish Cook leads Liberal candidate Matt Moran by 174 votes.

— With additional reporting by Elfy Scott

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