When it comes to covering elections, there’s not much Mark Riley hasn’t seen.
Riley, who steers 7NEWS‘ political coverage as Political Editor, has been in the halls of power since 1993, when Labor formed a government with Paul Keating.
He’s been there as John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison all led the country.
Unsurprisingly, there have been a few shocks and surprises along the way.
“I reckon 2019. I think that was the one that no one really expected, the miracle result,” Riley told Mediaweek.
The result Riley is referring to is of course Morrison’s unexpected victory over Bill Shorten, a win Morrison himself even went on to describe as a “miracle”.
The veteran reporter, affectionally known as ‘Riles’, who began his career in 1979 as a cadet journalist on the Newcastle Herald, spoke to Mediaweek just hours before today’s polls are due to close and reflected on that campaign with vivid clarity.
“I was out on the road with Morrison and you just didn’t feel animosity towards him… there wasn’t that level of anger,” Riley explained.
“We talk about baseball bats in politics, about how the voters are sitting on their porches with baseball bats waiting for the politician to come, but there just wasn’t that level of anger. Even though there seemed to be a lot more energy on the Labor side of the campaign, in the end, Morrison won.”
But Morrison’s 2019 win isn’t the only result that left Riley stunned.
“The 2010 Gillard-Abbott hung parliament result was another one that shocked,” he said. “That was an intriguing night. Seats that were expected to go Labor went Liberal, and seats expected to go Liberal went Labor, and others went independent. It was a portent of the future of politics.”
According to Riley, that election showed Australians were ready to vote differently.
“That was the election that said people are prepared to vote a third way. And they’ll do that tonight in my view, big time. There’ll be a big vote in the middle, away from the two majors,” he said going on to use soft drinks as an example: “They’ll be looking for somebody, anybody else who doesn’t represent Pepsi or Coke. Some other flavour.”
Riley, while on the 2025 campaign trail alongside Seven News cameraman Steve Quick, who Riley calls “the best in the business”
From the bubble to the bush
One of the most valuable parts of any campaign for Riley is the time spent outside Canberra, getting on the road and hearing directly from voters.
“The biggest and most valid criticism that people make of people like me is that we don’t get out of Canberra enough. So when we get the opportunity to go and see real Australia, you do see it,” he said.
In just five weeks, Riley has covered nearly every state and territory, ravelling with both major parties. He says some of the most meaningful conversations happen away from the cameras, in pubs and cafes across the country.
“People are really generous. They come up and have a chat and ask us what’s going on, because there’s this really curious massive group with cables, cameras and microphones running after one person,” he explained.
It’s not just idle chatter, either. Those grassroots conversations feed directly into Riley’s coverage and questions to leaders. “I relay the thoughts to the person running for Prime Minister. A hundred percent. I may ask a question, I have a couple of times in this campaign, based on what people have told me in a certain electorate.”
From petrol prices to energy rebates, Riley has been on the receiving end of voter confusion and scepticism.
“People were saying, ‘Petrol prices are coming down a bit. But who pays for that?’ And then, ‘My electricity bill has been high, but the state government gives me $400, the federal government $700. Will I keep that?’
“So then I’m able to put those concerns to the leaders. If I hadn’t been out on the road, I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” he explained.
Riley hosting Seven News’ Leaders Debate between Albanese and Dutton.
“My Grand Final”
The days are long. The logistics are punishing. But for Riley, this is the thrilling endgame.
“While on the campaign trail, there was a day we started in Brisbane. We did two jobs. Flew to Tasmania, did another two jobs, then flew to Adelaide and did another job. We started at about 5.30am and finished at around 9pm,” he said.
Between airport lounges and moving convoys, Riley files reports on his phone, monitors WhatsApp clips from rival camps, and coordinates with his Seven colleagues on the ground. “I was writing my package for the 6pm bulletin on my phone, watching videos from the other side. I was with Peter Dutton yesterday and watching a video from the Prime Minister’s side. So I’ve had to become adept at it.”
Despite the fatigue, he’s energised: “I love it. One of my colleagues said to me, ‘Are you over it?’ I said, ‘No, it’s my grand final tonight.'”
Hugh Whitfeld, Michael Usher, Natalie Barr and Mark Riley who will all head up 7News’ Election Day coverage
Pulling out all the stops on Seven
Tonight, Riley will join 7NEWS: Australia Decides – The Results Live, led by co-hosts Michael Usher and Natalie Barr, and backed by a powerful suite of real-time election tech.
In a first for Australian TV, Seven will deploy the 7NEWS Power Board, the same advanced system used by CNN, to provide immediate results and analysis. The 7NEWS Election Needle will deliver live, data-backed projections of who is most likely to form government.
It’s a format built for both viewer engagement and commercial confidence, offering advertisers a front-row seat to one of the most-watched live broadcasts of the year.
With a dedicated team of more than a dozen journalists, statisticians, political scientists, and researchers feeding the broadcast, Seven aims to deliver unparalleled insight for a politically-engaged national audience.
“You look for patterns, you look for number flows and try to make those numbers tell a story,” Riley said. “Pre-polling has really changed the nature of election night. So it’s changed the nature of campaigning too, you can’t influence a vote that’s already been cast. That’s been really fascinating out on the campaign trail.”
As Australians cast their verdict tonight, Riley will be ready, not just with numbers, but with the stories behind them.
7NEWS: Australia Decides – Election 2025, LIVE from 4.00pm AEST