From the media arm of the left the ABC and their flag ship program the 7.30 report
Even they agree that this was the worst result for Labor in over a century (since 1903) and a massive disaster
Full 7.30 story here with video, well worth a watch unless you are a diehard true believer as its not pretty for Labor http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3980312.htm
SARAH FERGUSON, PRESENTER: In the lead up to Saturday's re-run of the WA Senate election, Labor leader Bill Shorten urged voters to send the Government a message, but it seems voters instead sent one to Labor.
The party recorded its lowest primary vote in a Senate election in more than a century and Clive Palmer's Senate bloc now appears likely to share the balance of power in the Upper House from July.
On the Government's part, it says a five per cent drop in its vote since the last election is standard for a by-election result.
Political correspondent Sabra Lane.
ANTONY GREEN, ABC ELECTION ANALAYST: The main story out of the WA Senate election is the disastrous result for Labor. It's the lowest Labor vote in an election - a Senate election since 1903. Their vote went substantially down. The loss of vote for the Liberal Party's what you'd expect at a by-election.
SABRA LANE: For the ALP and its relatively new leader Bill Shorten, the result's a shocker. Mr Shorten urged voters to send the Government a message about planned cuts to health and education. Instead, voters have sent him and the ALP a strong and unmissable missive: they don't like what they see and hear.
ANTONY GREEN: I think the final spot will be won by the Liberal Party. From this point on, their vote should go up slightly during the count.
SABRA LANE: The former West Australian Labor Premier Geoff Gallop argues the party's facing an existential crisis.
GEOFF GALLOP: Catastrophic. And I think it ought to be a turning point. It ought to be one of those occasions when all of the arguments that have been floating around in recent years about the need to reform the party really come to the surface and the issue's taken seriously.
GEOFF GALLOP: I think the Labor Party is damaged goods. I mean, if you look at what's been going on in New South Wales, if you look at many of the issues related to the relationship between business and politics, you look at the pre-selection processes in WA, you look at the controversy surrounding Joe Bullock in the past couple of weeks of the campaign. I mean, the Labor vote just collapsed.
Full 7.30 story here with video, well worth a watch unless you are a diehard true believer as its not pretty for Labor http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3980312.htm
