Tuesday 24 May 2022 04:37 AM Kristina Keneally's concession tweet lays blame on Labor after Fowler loss to ... trends now

Kristina Keneally has been accused of ducking blame in losing the safe Labor seat of Fowler to independent Dai Le, after she was controversially parachuted into the electorate.

The senior Labor politician was unceremoniously dropped into the south-west Sydney seat of Fowler at the last minute, despite having no connection to the area and previously living 50km away on the affluent northern beaches. 

The move created outrage amongst faithful Labor voters in the region, leading to Ms Keneally's stunning defeat in an electorate that has been held by Labor since its creation in 1984.

The senator was unable to admit her loss in a stinging tweet on Sunday, instead declaring it was Labor that couldn't claim the seat, before she congratulated Ms Le on her victory. 

'At the end of today, it seems that Labor will not claim victory in Fowler,' the American-born politician wrote.

'I congratulate Dai Le and wish her well. Thank you to the people who voted Labor & the volunteers on our campaign.'

Ms Keneally concluded her concession tweet by congratulating newly-appointed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Labor party and telling her followers a 'better future for Australia lies ahead'.

Several users on the platform noticed the carefully-worded tweet focused the loss of Fowler on the party, rather than Ms Keneally herself.

'In the end, Kristina Keneally is to blame for losing the super safe heartland Labor seat of #Fowler,' tweeted journalist Troy Bramston, who penned a piece in The Australian on the debacle. 

'But in true Keneally style, she is not to blame, only Labor is - "Labor will not claim victory" …'

The political journalist later told Sky News Australia that it was ultimately a 'terrible decision' from Labor.

'You can't just parachute someone from the northern suburbs of Sydney to western Sydney, 'he said.