A Victorian Liberal frontbencher was told he had lost his traditionally blue-ribbon seat on live television, as Labor swept to victory in an unanticipated landslide.

Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto was praised for his gracious response as he went through the excruciating experience of hearing he had lost his seat while on air.

Mr Pesutto was on the ABC TV panel as the Coalition's shocking results rolled in, and the huge swings to Labor were replicated in his blue-chip seat of Hawthorn.

"You get a short time on the stage in politics," he said.

"To the people of Hawthorn, I'm very grateful for the time they've given me."

Labor's John Kennedy was looking likely to win the seat, the first time Labor would have held Hawthorn since 1955.

ABC election analyst Antony Green told the panel: "If the Labor Party is ahead in Hawthorn at any time on an election night you know there's a remarkable swing going on."

Later, as more pre-poll and postal votes were counted, Mr Pesutto's prospects were looking better and he edged back in front.

But during the broadcast, host Tamara Oudyn offered Mr Pesutto her commiserations and asked whether he had plans for the future, or if it was "too early to ask".

"The first thing you should do is thank the people who elected you in the first place," Mr Pesutto said.

"It's certainly, in the last four years, been a great honour to serve them and I hope I didn't let them down in that way. To them watching, thank you so much.

"As to me, it doesn't matter.

"We focus on what it means for us as politicians and what I've been trying to emphasise during the evening is it's not about us. If we continue to make it about us that's when you run into problems like this."

Mr Pesutto said despite its long Liberal history, he never regarded Hawthorn as a safe seat.

"I was always concerned about it and campaigned like it was a marginal seat, an ultra-marginal seat, so it isn't a surprise to this extent," he said.

"But did I predict tonight? No, no. I have to be honest."

He said one of the reasons he did not take the seat for granted was a high turnover in population, with people moving in and out of the area.

Mr Pesutto said his opponent had worked hard and was "a very decent man".

"I have come to know him and [his wife] Bronwyn — they're decent people and I have enjoyed being on the campaign trail with them."

He was praised by panellists, both Labor and Liberal, for his graciousness.

"There are people in the Parliament that people don't necessarily like, right across the political divide. But you were a person that is respected," Labor's Jill Hennessy said.

"I thought your contribution was incredibly gracious."

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also appeared on the panel and was asked how responsible he and his federal colleagues were for the Coalition's disastrous result in Victoria.

"Well, it's a very difficult night for the Liberal family," he said.

"I do want to pay credit to [Liberal leader] Matthew Guy and the campaign that he and his colleagues ran, particularly my friend on the panel tonight, John Pesutto.

"But as Matthew said, there was a state election run on state issues."

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