Sydney, May 3, 2025—Andrew Bolt, the firebrand News Corp columnist, didn’t mince words on Sky News last night as the network’s pundits grappled with the Coalition’s crushing loss in the federal election. With Labor’s Anthony Albanese securing a second term, Bolt pointed the finger squarely at Australian voters, insisting they got it wrong by rejecting Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. The Sky News panel, usually a bastion of conservative bravado, was a somber scene of finger-pointing and despair as the reality of defeat sank in.
Bolt, known for his take-no-prisoners style, argued that voters were swayed by Albanese’s “nice, easy-going” demeanor, a superficial charm that overshadowed what he called a government leaving Australians “poorer, more divided, more uncertain.” The Liberal Party, he fumed, failed to lean hard enough into the culture wars, a strategy he and fellow Sky commentator Peta Credlin—who nodded furiously in agreement—believed could’ve turned the tide. Credlin, once chief of staff to Tony Abbott, piled on, decrying the “disgraceful” demonization of Dutton, whom she praised as a decent man unfairly maligned.
The mood on set was grim. By 9:39 p.m., as Dutton delivered a gracious concession speech from his Queensland electorate of Dickson, Sky News had already branded the result a “blood bath” for the Coalition. Recriminations flew fast. Some panelists questioned the party’s leadership prospects, with Bolt noting a looming crisis: no clear figure stood out as a natural successor if Dutton lost his seat. Others, like Sky’s Sharri Markson, faced scrutiny for earlier optimism. Just weeks ago, Markson had dismissed national polls as inaccurate, citing upbeat private Coalition surveys that, in hindsight, proved wildly off-base.
The election numbers told a brutal story. Labor’s victory was decisive, with Albanese’s government retaining power despite economic headwinds and a polarized electorate. Dutton, who’d staked his campaign on hardline policies and a combative stance, couldn’t close the gap. His defeat marked a stinging rebuke for the Coalition’s strategy, which leaned heavily on Sky News’ nightly amplification of its messaging.
As the broadcast rolled on, the panel’s frustration was palpable. Bolt’s voter-blaming rant stood out, but it wasn’t alone—Credlin’s call for a fiercer culture war echoed a broader sentiment among Sky’s conservative stalwarts. The network, a longtime cheerleader for Dutton’s Liberals, now faced the task of dissecting a loss that left its commentators visibly shaken.
The Coalition’s path forward remains unclear. Dutton’s leadership hangs in the balance, and no date has been set for a Liberal Party leadership vote. Labor’s win secures Albanese’s government until at least 2028.