Dunkley Sends a Message

In March voters in the south-eastern Melbourne seat of Dunkley cast their ballots in a by-election occasioned by the death of sitting Labor member Peta Murphy. Jodie Belyea retained the seat for Labor. Despite an earlier poll of Dunkley’s voters that had shown support for Labor’s tax cuts, on the day there was a 3.5 per cent swing to the Liberal Party. Commentators suggested the vote was a referendum on Labor’s performance federally.