Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has defended the Liberals' performance in Saturday's North Sydney by-election, despite the party suffering a big swing against it.
Liberal candidate Trent Zimmerman easily won the federal by-election taking out 47.6 percent of the vote, however the result represented a 13.4 percent swing against the party in the blue-ribbon seat.
Labor did not field a candidate in the contest which was sparked when former Treasurer Joe Hockey quit parliament in October.
Speaking on Sunday, Peter Dutton played down the significant swing.
"Nobody likes by-elections, people are reluctant to turn up to the polling booths every three years and so there's generally a bit of a backlash just because of that," Dutton told Sky Channel.
"Joe had been a very long-serving and popular local member so there's that personal vote that's lost as well."
Zimmerman, Hockey's former staffer, is the current acting president of the NSW Liberal Party.
He was selected to run for the safe Sydney seat in a controversial preselection victory in October.
In his victory speech, he said he was inspired by Prime Minister Turnbull and said the people of North Sydney had faith the PM would provide leadership in the years ahead.
According to the ABC's election analyst, Antony Green, there was a 13.4 percent swing against the Liberals who took 47.6 percent of the vote.