On The Record’s political editor Mia Handley recounts her experience at the Labor Boothby election night party on May 3 (Image: Sienna Murphy).
By Mia Handley | @miajh1428
The mood at the Boothby Labor election night party was euphoric, spirited, and slightly inebriated.
This year’s election was a historic result. Labor was declared the winner after New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia recorded strong swings.
Incumbent Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost defeated Liberal candidate Nicolle Flint and retained the seat of Boothby.
I collaborated with fellow On The Record journalists Leia Vlahos and Robert Hicks for The Junction’s federal election broadcast. We were ‘live reporters’, armed with our phones, the crew at The Junction, and the ABC live count. We reported from marginal seats in SA prepared to broadcast until a result was announced.
Getting into the function was easy. I had contacted Miller-Frost and Flint’s teams the week before, equipped with an email template from The Junction. Both Labor and Liberal were keen to invite the press; however, it turned out only one invitation was important.
At 7:50pm ACST, Sky News called the election. This was almost two hours after polling closed in South Australia.
At the time, we were taking a selfie with Flint’s famous ‘Flintmobile’ in the carpark of the Liberal Boothby function. We were unaware that Flint had just conceded Boothby, but as we watched members enter, rather sombrely, it was obvious we were at the wrong function.
Labor puts on a show
As said by AFR political correspondent Ronald Mizen last week, election night parties are a case of “Cheer. Drink.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began his victory speech at 9:40pm. When arriving at the Boothby Labor event at 9:45pm, we could barely believe the volume of the chanting.
There were over a hundred people at Cumberland United Football Club watching the ABC election broadcast on a projector screen. When Albanese mentioned the ‘Labor Party’s heart and soul’, they enthusiastically raised their wine glasses.
Later, I told Miller-Frost we were planning to film a video with some of the members
“Do you have anyone in particular in mind?” I asked.
Miller-Frost said to avoid interviewing any drunk members.
“I only arrived at 9pm,” Miller-Frost said.
“They finished at the polls at six and then came straight here.”
Miller-Frost with young Labor voters (Image: Sienna Murphy)
Interviewing the members
After enduring 26 minutes of Albanese’s victory speech and three choruses of ‘Albo, Albo, Albo,’ I was keen to start speaking with Labor members and staffers. It was an easy pick, considering the diehard members in the room.
One Labor member was wearing ‘Vote Labor’ earrings (Image: Sienna Murphy)
Between my friend, who was wearing green, and myself, wearing brown, we were obviously not Labor members. Thankfully, this did not affect the hospitality we received.
We spoke with Bruce Bilney, long-term Labor member, rhyming verse poet, and tessellations artist who describes his works as ‘better than [M.C] Escher!’. Bilney declined an interview but was kind enough to gift a copy of his illustrated book, Brucie the Bilby: Verse from the Wilderness to me.
The Boothby Labor function was a wilderness of its own: a completely foreign environment. I was amongst people who had dedicated their lives to a cause they genuinely believed in. You do not see that level of loyalty every day.
Over the next hour, we spoke with more Labor members.
Georgia Thompson, the digital communications and parliament officer for senator Karen Grogan, said the energy of the night was “insane, unprecedented … crazy.”
I could not say it better myself.
A historic result
Regardless of your political beliefs, May 3 was a historic moment in Australian history.
Albanese became the first prime minister to win a second term since John Howard in 1998. The Coalition lost all metropolitan SA seats and their leader, Peter Dutton, became the first opposition leader to lose his seat at an election. The Greens leader Adam Bandt lost the seat of Melbourne after 15 years.
“The people of Australia have placed their trust in Labor once again. Including so many Australians who have voted Labor for the first time,” Albanese said.
“Our government will choose the Australian way. Because we are proud of who we are – and all that we have built together in this country.”
While the Boothby Labor and Liberal election night parties could not have been more different, both were a celebration of democracy. It was a night of victory, defeat, drinking and camaraderie.
Of Australian-ness.
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