Senior Liberal frontbencher Anne Ruston has acknowledged her party faces a significant challenge after a devastating result in the South Australian election, with the Liberals securing only four state seats so far and several too close to call. Speaking on Sky News, Ruston said the party had “a lot of work to do to rebuild the trust of Australians” and that “sobering lessons” must be learned from the outcome. She expressed confidence that Liberal values would still resonate with voters.
The election also saw a strong performance from One Nation, which recorded its best result at any poll since the 1998 Queensland election. Preliminary figures show One Nation secured 21.6% of first-preference votes, though Ruston suggested the party’s support would likely decline, noting that “we’ve seen the rise and fall of One Nation on numerous occasions around the country.”
However, senior Labor figures warned against complacency. Federal minister Amanda Rishworth stressed the need to address the grievances driving support for Pauline Hanson’s party, stating, “We’ve got to look at those grievances and respond with solutions.” South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, who secured a landslide victory, echoed the call for mainstream parties to offer clear policy agendas in response to the rise of parties like One Nation.
