Teals 'prove they're not one hit wonders'

Key seats have already been called for independent incumbents.

The so-called teal or community independents have proven they're not "one hit wonders", and look set to retain several key seats across the country in the 2025 federal election.

Four hours after polls closed on the east coast, eight seats have provisionally been called for Independent candidates.

Safe seats Indi (Victoria) and Clark (Tasmania) were called early in the night for incumbents Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie respectively.

WATCH LIVE: Nine's Election 2025: Australia Decides

Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender and Kate Chaney.

LIVE: Federal Election 2025 Live Updates

In New South Wales, Independent incumbent Zali Steggall retained her seat of Warringah, while Wentworth MP Allegra Spender and Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps are on track for victory.

Independent candidate Andrew Gee is also on track to retain the seat of Calare (NSW), as is Dr Monique Ryan for the seat of Kooyong (Victoria).

Independents held several key seats heading into the 2025 federal election, including Curtin in WA, Goldstein and Kooyong in Victoria, and Mackellar, Warringah and Wentworth in NSW.

They were also targeting several new seats including Bradfield and Cowper in NSW, Flinders in Victoria, McPherson in Queensland and Wannon in Victoria.

Former Triple J host Alex Dyson was unable to unseat Liberal Dan Tehan for the seat of Wannon, where Tehan looks set to win.

Independents played a large role in the 2022 federal election, snatching up a number of once-safe Liberal seats and helping to create the largest crossbench in Australian history.

A key question this time around was how many of those seats would remain in independent hands, and whether any would revert back to supporting the Coalition.

Earlier tonight, Kooyong MP Monique Ryan addressed claims from some detractors that teals would be "one hit wonders".

LIVE RESULTS: Track every seat as it is called

"What we've seen in the last few federal elections [is] there's been a progressive fall in the vote that's gone to the major parties," she told Nine.Election 2025: Australia Decides.

"I haven't seen anything or heard anything in the electorate of Kooyong in the last few weeks or months which would suggest that that would not continue to be the case.

"People are frustrated. They're frustrated with the Albanese ALP, and they've been very frustrated with Peter Dutton's Coalition.

"And so I'd be surprised, actually, if there's any significant change in the size of the crossbench other than potentially an increase in the crossbench after tonight."

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