11:41

Bill Shorten and Ged Kearney have claimed victory in Batman in two rousing speeches, frequently interrupted by the crowd interrupting into chant or song.

Shorten promised voters that Labor would not take victory in Batman to mean that they could ignore the demands of progressive voters or those who had turned away from Labor:

Tonight I want to make a promise to all of the voters of Batman, the ones who voted for Labor and the ones who voted for other candidates ... that Labor hears the lesson and the message of Batman.

Shorten said he knew many voters were “disillusioned with politics as usual”.

Tonight in this venue we celebrate a victory for Labor, but beyond this room into the lounge rooms of Batman more broadly in Australia, I promise that we do not treat this election campaign as a triumph and an end in itself, but as another step in the way to giving Australians the sort of government they want with the policies that make a difference to everyday Australians.

Kearney, speaking over chants of “Ged! Ged! Ged!”, said: “Oh, they said we’d never do it. But we did.” She thanked Alex Bhathal for a “hard-fought campaign”, then addressed the voters of Batman:

I want the people of Batman to know that I have listened, that Bill Shorten has listened, and we are going to take everything you have said to Canberra.

Kearney is the first woman elected to the seat of Batman in its 110-year history, and brings the proportion of women in the federal Labor caucus to 48%.

