“The election signals the end of the dominance of the two-party system,” Kosmos (Kosma) Samaras said to Neos Kosmos.

Mr Samaras is a former Labor election strategist who sees a new political landscape developing after last Saturday’s election.

“We may evolve into something like Europe where traditional parties lost sway and smaller parties, based on values, regions, and new demographics emerged.”

Traditional party solidarity has ebbed, and there is no certainty anymore, according to the ex-Labor strategist.

“The era of the safe seat is over,” said Samaras.

The Liberals were mauled by their traditional constituencies – wealthy professionals from the leafy inner-city suburbs in Australia’s major cities. And Labor had a pale victory with a historically low primary vote – which dulled much of their excitement.

“A large group of voters don’t find major parties attractive anymore. What the Teals did to the Liberals, the UAP, and other independents did to the Labor party; the alt right and minor conservative party movements are still here.”

Samaras characterised the shift as “a third, third, third, break of traditional party alliances.”

“A third Labor, a third Libs and a third made of a mix based on where you live; it could be One Nation in Queensland, Palmer in outer suburbs, Teals, and Greens in inner cities.”

He doubted that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese can rebuild much of Labor’s base.

“There is no brand loyalty left and any improvement in Labor’s base will be temporary.”

“Some disaffected Labor voters may gravitate back to Albanese, only if he does a good job, if Labor solidarity rekindles it will only be in certain places.”

He said that many of Labor’s traditional base are now “self-employed, tradies, those who see themselves as small business.”

“Others are in precarious work, as part-time, casual and non-unionised labour.”

Traditional Labor or Liberal allegiances for 20- to 30-year-olds have evaporated according to Samaras. “They now vote on local and global issues, not parties, they do not follow their parents.”

He reflected on his own second generation Greek Australians as well when he spoke to Neos Kosmos.

“Look at our generation, I am a GenXer, like you, and many of our generation now vote Liberal, it was unheard of in our parents’ generation.”

As far as the Liberals, Samaras thinks that they may want “to teach the inner suburbs a lesson” and target the outer suburbs.

“The Liberals will push their tax reforms which will garner more support in the outer suburbs, it will be the outer suburbs against the wealthy inner suburbs.”

He rejected the suggestion of the Teals may fade away anytime soon.

“The Teals will not go away. The independent Cathy McGowan won in 2013, and now handed over the baton to Helen Haines in Indi, north-east Victoria.”

Ms McGowan a former Liberal staffer beat conservative hardliner Sophie Mirabella in 2013, and Ms Haines her chosen successor is the new member of Indi.

“Once Teals secure seats in parliament they will not be giving them up, there’s no evidence of that.”

Samaras pointed to Fowler in western Sydney as a key example of how Labor got it wrong.

Labor parachuted former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally in a multicultural western suburbs electorate only to see her dispatched by local Vietnamese-Australian candidate, Dai Le.

“You can’t parachute Labor aristocrats in high ethnic suburbs. Ethnic voters now understand data, economics, media, and campaigning; ethnic communities don’t want stars, they want their own.

“Dai Le is a local, she knows the people that voted for her, she put her hand up three weeks before the election and Labor ignored her,” Samaras said.

The traditional ethnic Labor fiefdoms are fraying, as are traditional Liberal strongholds.

According to Samaras elections from now on will be won or lost in a seat-by-seat combat.

“The two major parties will be around, but they will need to deal with huge differences, from seat to seat. The age of the safe seat is finished.”

Samaras believes Albanese’s lack of polish and even his fumbling, made him likeable, like John Howard looked in comparison to a savvier Keating in 1996.

“Many in focus groups told us he was seen as ‘an ordinary bloke’ and they didn’t mind him getting a few things wrong either, many said he looked like ‘someone you could have a beer with.'”

Labor will face major economic headwinds; a mountain of COVID deficit, global instability, inflation, and interest rate hikes – the perfect economic storm.

Samaras is less enthusiastic about Labor’s promise to revitalise manufacturing – not at the level required anyway.

“Labor can do some things, but not like the post-war period when large scale manufacturing, and infrastructure, created mass employment.”

He sees the persistence of an ‘anti-woke’ sentiment in outer suburbs and among traditional Labor voters and Labor should not ignore it.

“What we are seeing is a global trend of the educated middle classes moving to the left and traditional working classes shifting to the right.”

He cautions against any underestimation of Peter Dutton the new Leader of the Liberals.

“He is smart, and he knows the economy will be the focus, he also knows the suburbs well.”

Samaras said the expectation that Labor will hold government for two terms “is a possibility, but not a certainty.”