Labor’s Ali France has just become the first person to unseat an opposition leader at a federal election, after her stunning victory on Saturday in the electorate of Dickson. She’s all over the headlines today after ousting Peter Dutton, in what marks her third run at the Queensland seat.
The win marks a pretty big moment. To put it in context, Dutton held the seat by a slim 1.7 per cent heading into the election, making it the most marginal seat for any Opposition Leader since 1937.
So, what’s the lowdown on Dickson’s newest MP? Here’s what we know.
Who is Ali France?
France is a former journalist, disability advocate, and world champion para-athlete. She has campaigned on reducing the cost of health care and strengthening the NDIS and disability support.
She’s been described as an “extraordinary Australian” by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, having overcome significant adversity over the years. In 2011, one of her legs was amputated above the knee after she was pinned by an out-of-control car in a Brisbane shopping centre car park while with one of her sons, then four-year-old Zac.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about the incident in 2019 — during her first attempt at Dickson — France explained she “spent many years in hospital and my pathway to politics really began in that hospital”.
France is the daughter of former state Labor MP Peter Lawlor and has previously said she hadn’t thought about a political career, up until her accident.
“Waiting for surgeries and appointments, I talked to many, many people about how they were struggling with health expenses and the pressures of the system. The whole experience drove a passion to see changes in the way our healthcare system is funded. I am passionate about Medicare — it literally saved my life,” she said.
Five years later, France found herself reckoning with Australia’s healthcare system all over again. She lost her eldest son Henry to leukaemia in 2024, after 18 tough months of going in and out of hospital. France had also lost Henry’s father and her ex-husband, Clive, to cancer the year before.
In her victory speech on Saturday night, France paid tribute to Henry, saying she never stopping thinking about him during the race.
“I wish you were here,” she said, per The Guardian.
“He was so insistent that I don’t give up even to care for him. He was looking forward to being a part of this campaign, a part of this celebration and I can tell you Henry you were.
“Every time it felt too hard or too much I thought of you, and your courage and bravery and happiness and positivity to the very end. I carried that courage with me throughout this campaign, and it’s got me here, even though my heart still aches for you thank you for giving me the strength to keep moving forward as you did.”
She also acknowledged the outgoing member for Dickson in her speech, admitting facing Dutton as a candidate was a tough battle.
“In 2018 I was told that Dickson was not winnable and it wouldn’t be winnable until Peter Dutton retired,” France said.
“They said he was too popular, he was too well known … I was told that I didn’t stand a chance.”
Despite this, she decided to “give it a good crack anyway”.
What has Peter Dutton said?
In his concession speech just after 9:30pm on Saturday, Dutton conceded the election, accepting “full responsibility” for the loss.
He congratulated France on the victory, noting they’ve been “combatants” for the last three elections.
“I also had the pleasure of speaking with Ali France, Ali and I have been combatants for a number of elections but she was successful in Dickson tonight, and she will do a good job as a local member,” he said.
“She lost her son Henry which is a tragic circumstances and no parent should ever go through that, equally I said to Ali that her son Henry would be incredibly proud of her tonight and she will do a good job as a local member for Dickson and I wish her all the very best.”
Last election, France tightened the race in Dickson, gaining a 2.94 per cent swing that saw Labor achieve 48.3 per cent of the vote after preferences, per SBS News. With the race tightened to a slim 1.7 percent, it made Dickson the most marginal seat in all of Queensland.
Back in 2019, Dutton also drew sharp criticism for stating France is “using her disability as an excuse for not moving into our electorate”. After it was reported she didn’t live in the electorate of Dickson, France explained she had “searched high and low” but had been unable to find a wheelchair-accessible home, and that if elected she would move to the electorate and renovate.
With the pretty heavy defeat, Dutton is the first sitting party leader to lose their seat at an election since then-prime minister John Howard was beaten in Bennelong on the same night he lost government in 2007.
Lead image: AAP
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