On a cloudy day in Melbourne’s West, campaign workers in clashing t-shirts formed lines outside of schools and community centres. Residents, who often suffer from congested roads, this time navigated foot traffic on their way to the voting booth. 

February 8th, 2025 was the day of the Werribee by-election. It came after long-serving Labor MP, Tim Pallas announced his retirement - kicking off Labor’s first real pressure test of the year. 

Stephen Donnelly sits down with seasoned pollster and campaign researcher, John Armitage, for a spirited discussion about why the Werribee by-election matters, and what Labor can learn from this moment as they rise to meet the challenges of 2025.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
04:33 Werribee By-Election Overview
16:23 The Liberal Strategy
23:56 Lessons for Labor
36:31 The Western Front
47:21 Prahan
52:36 Wrap Up

The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au 

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The presenting sponsor of the Socially Democratic podcast is Dunn Street. For more information on how Dunn Street can help you organise to build winning campaigns in your community, business or organisation, and make the world a better place, look us up at: dunnstreet.com.au