While Labor is celebrating their historic win over the Coalition at Saturday’s federal election, let’s cast our eye over the long list of people who didn’t get into parliament, or are leaving after being defeated.

Big spending billionaires, right-wing conservative parties, disaffected Liberals, and defeated incumbents, including several members of The Greens, will not be making any trips to Canberra to sit in parliament.

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There were 150 winners in the lower house, and half of the 76 senate seats were up for election too, but the list of disappointed candidates is much longer. Who’s heading home disappointed?

Trumpet of Patriots

Clive Palmer’s yellow coloured SMS loving party that has wallpapered the country with billboards, filled news websites with advertisements, and run long TV ads, didn’t win any seats and looks likely to gain no senate spots.

Appearing on Channel 7’s election panel last night Palmer said the hundreds of millions of dollars he’s spent was not about getting seats but directing the national conversation. Before the next election new political donation rules will come into effect. Palmer has said politicism is like a hobby to him, but maybe he’ll have to focus on golf from now on.

Palmer had declared leader Suellen Wrightson would be the next PM. In Hunter she was outpolled by Legalise Cannabis, The Greens, One Nation, The Nations and Labor – who won the seat. She’s turned off her social media today.

The Greens

The Greens have lost the seats of Brisbane and Griffith in Queensland so it’s goodbye to Max Chandler-Mather and Stephen Bates. Elizabeth Watson-Brown looks like she’ll keep the Queensland seat of Ryan.

It’s a close race in Melbourne for leader Adam Bandt and it might be days before it’s clear if he’s keeping his spot. In Wills it looks like Samantha Ratnam’s dreams of moving from state to federal parliament will fall short.

Peter Dutton

Not only did he lose the election, but he also lost his seat Queensland of Dickson. Peter Dutton has scored a place in the history books as the first Australian Federal Opposition leader to lose their seat at an election. Dutton has been the member since 2001.

Liberals Bridget Archer, David Coleman, Ross Vasta, Michael Sukkar, Luke Howarth, James Stevens, and Keith Wolahan will also be brushing up their resumes.

Comeback Liberals

There were quite a few former MPs on the Liberal side hoping to make a return to parliament after either retiring or losing at previous elections.

Tim Wilson failed to unseat independent Zoe Daniel in Goldstein*, Nicole Flint crashed and burned in the South Australian seat of Boothby, and Dr Katie Allen fell flat in Chisholm. Vince Connelly failed to pick up the Western Australian seat of Moore where the party picked him over incumbent Ian Goodenough.

Former senator Ben Small however will be the new member for Forrest in Western Australia replacing the retiring Nola Marino.

Family First

The conservative party led by former Australian Chrisitan Lobby boss Lyle Shelton have not picked up any seats, and Shelton’s bid for a New South Wales senate seat has also not been fruitful.

He previously ran for Family First in the NSW state election but didn’t make an impact. Shelton was previous with the Australian Democratic Christian Party but had a falling out with founder Fred Nile. Before that he unsuccessfully ran for Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives and has previously run for the Queensland parliament for The Nationals. The last time Shelton won he was running for Toowoomba City Council two decades ago.

During the campaign the party dumped teenage candidate Malachi Brogden-Hearne over offensive social media comments. He then went to town making many more offensive social media comments. He came in last place in Longman but picked up 3 per cent of the vote.

People First

Disaffected former Liberal member Gerard Rennick’s new party People First made no inroads. Rennick lost his spot on the Liberals senate ticket, quit the party and formed his own group. They ran 25 candidates, mostly in Queensland.

One Nation

The party did not win any lower house seats, but they had a good showing in Hunter where Stuart Bonds picked up 16.8 per cent of first preferences.

They look on track to retain their one senate seat for Malcolm Roberts. Their other representative is leader Pauline Hanson who was not up for reelection this time round.

Update: 8-05-25 11:25 – Days later as counting continued Tim Wilson claimed victory in Goldstein.