The recent South Australian election has offered another jolt to Australia’s political establishment. An analysis of the results describes the country as entering “a political hall of mirrors,” with votes pinging wildly around the preferential voting system. One Nation’s resurgence is at the centre of the analysis, which notes that the party’s growing share of votes — and the unpredictable way those preferences flow — is reshaping electoral mathematics in ways that defy conventional modelling.
The phenomenon isn’t isolated. The Liberal Party is also grappling with its own structural problems. In the seat of Bennelong, a $400,000 debt hole left by candidate Scott Yung — who spent lavishly on blimps, billboards, and campaign materials during the 2025 federal election — is haunting the party. Insiders say Yung has no intention of paying the money back, leaving the local branch in financial crisis. It’s a microcosm of broader dysfunction within the Liberals as they struggle to regroup.