Coalition MPs are blaming bitterness over the Liberal Party leadership coup for the Wentworth by-election loss, but appear confident the damage will be limited to the former prime minister's seat.

Key points: Independent Kerryn Phelps is set to join five other MPs on the cross bench

Independent Kerryn Phelps is set to join five other MPs on the cross bench Independent MP Bob Katter says people are walking away from major parties

Independent MP Bob Katter says people are walking away from major parties Coalition MPs don't expect Wentworth voters' bitterness to spread to other electorates

Losing Liberal candidate Dave Sharma believes the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull, which triggered his resignation from the Sydney-based electorate, was the primary reason the seat has fallen to independent candidate Kerryn Phelps.

"The big headwind here, the macro picture, was really the manner in which Malcolm Turnbull lost the prime ministership," Mr Sharma told Sky News late Sunday.

"I think Australians have very little tolerance for changing leaders mid-cycle and they certainly had intolerance for the frequency with which we have been doing [that]."

"Australians are sick of this, I am sick of this."

Liberal backbencher Sarah Henderson said it was disappointing Mr Turnbull didn't do more to help the Liberal Party retain the seat of Wentworth.

Mr Turnbull remained overseas throughout the campaign.

"This was always going to be a very, very tight result," Ms Henderson said.

"I'm disappointed of course that Malcolm wasn't a bit stronger in his support for the Liberal vote.

"I think that's been echoed by a number of members of our party."



The historic win for Dr Phelps means she is set to join five other MPs on the cross-benches of the lower house.

The most recent count has her 1,613 votes ahead of Mr Sharma after preferences, a swing of nearly 19 per cent against the Liberal Party.

While the likely result means the Coalition would lose its majority, independent MP Cathy McGowan said she did not want to see an early election.

"My preference is for this Government to run its full term," Ms McGowan said.

She said the messages she took from the Wentworth by-election echoed sentiments expressed in her electorate, including that action was needed to get children off Nauru and for more to be done to address climate change.

Ms McGowan also said the message included the need for stability and good governance.

Mr Sharma warned against extrapolating from the weekend's by-election result.

"I think it would be an error to draw national lessons solely from the prism of Wentworth," he said.

It's a view widely held by Coalition MPs: voters in Wentworth have every right to be angry, but it is not a problem in their own electorates.

"It is a hit against the Government in Wentworth and Wentworth alone," said regional Queensland MP George Christensen.

"Wentworth is light years away from an electorate like mine.

"I don't think too much can be read out of this."

Sorry, this video has expired Phelps and Burke talk Wentworth on Insiders

His Queensland colleagues Ken O'Dowd, Scott Bucholz and Michelle Landry all expressed similar sentiments.

So has New South Wales Liberal MP Craig Laundy, who described Wentworth as "a unique seat" with "some policy quirks".

They all believe the next general election, to be held some time between now and May, is winnable for the Coalition.

'You are watching the future', warn independents

The independents and minor parties in Federal Parliament see the Wentworth result differently, hailing the addition to their ranks as a sign of what is to come.

"People have made the decision to walk away from the major [parties] and they're not walking back," independent MP Bob Katter had told the ABC.

He pointed to the success of independent and minor party candidates in seats that were once Liberal strongholds as evidence, including Indi in Victoria (now held by independent Cathy McGowan) and Mayo in South Australia (now held by Centre Alliance's Rebekha Sharkie).

While the policy priorities of each seat were different, Mr Katter said the sentiment driving voters was the same — rejection of the major political parties.

"They'll vote for Kerryn Phelps ahead of voting for the ALP or the LNP," Mr Katter said.

He described the changes as "profoundly important" but accuses the Liberal and National parties of failing to heed the warning signs.

"You are watching the future. You are watching the future and you're still not getting the message," he said.

Sorry, this video has expired Liberal candidate Dave Sharma concedes defeat

"They're just not going to vote for you any more.

"When I became an independent 12, 15 years ago, no independent had ever got re-elected, ever, so I was walking over an open grave.

"Now we get re-elected all the time."

Although he was at odds with Dr Phelps on many policies, he welcomed her election as a sign voters were not going to accept bickering within and between the major parties.

"They're saying it by voting for a person like myself and a person like Kerryn Phelps, who is [at the] opposite end of the spectrum," he said.

"What they're really saying is we don't want the Liberal, National or Labor parties in there any more."