Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull looked nearly certain to retain power after a bruising national election as key independent lawmakers pledged support and marathon vote counting in close-run electorates leaned in his favor on Friday. But the result of the election may bring further deadlock: If neither party earns a majority of seats in the House, both Labor and the coalition will be forced to try to forge alliances with independent lawmakers to form a minority government.
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The Liberal Party is in the midst of a civil war and the government has no direction, opposition leader Bill Shorten told a caucus of his Labor Party on Friday, according to the Australian.
Even if the coalition wins a narrow majority in the lower house, Mr Turnbull would then have to try to pass legislation through an even more intransigent Senate. Current figures from the Australian Electorial Commission shows a difference nationally of just under 6000 votes between the two major parties.
Greens MP Adam Bandt isn’t surprised he’s yet to receive a call from Mr Turnbull, after saying the party wouldn’t support a conservative government. “Quite frankly, I think he should quit”.
Despite protestations to the contrary from Turnbull, Economou maintains that Labor was “justified” in its attack as it harks back to a series of decisions in the 2014 budget of former Liberal Party Prime Minister Tony Abbott, which fostered anxiety about the coalition’s historic hostility towards state healthcare.
But the center-left Labor Party opposition has not conceded that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will form a government. Another six seats are still in doubt.
Electoral officials are counting 1.5 million postal and absentee votes that will be crucial to the result of Saturday’s poll, which saw a swing against Turnbull’s conservative coalition government and the rise of populist independents.
Mr Turnbull travelled to Brisbane for talks with maverick politician Bob Katter for talks about supporting a minority government if the count from the weekend election ended with only Australia’s third hung parliament in more than a century.
The Prime Minister said his granddaughter Isla was on his lap when he took Mr Shorten’s concession call, and he was “deeply, deeply touched” by the moment.
Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the center-right Coalition, is still waiting to declare a win in a tight election, even after a member of his party declared a premature victory for the ruling Coalition after Turnbull won the support of three independents.
It is also expected to have the support of four independents.
“Friends, after the longest campaign in 50 years, this could well be one of the shortest Parliaments in 50 years”, he said.
Latest projections by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s veteran analyst Antony Green said the coalition was on course to hold at least 73 seats, with Katter’s support taking them to 74.
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Government by negotiation in the face of warnings that Australia’s AAA credit rating may be downgraded may actually assist Mr Turnbull to develop a consensus form of government with the cross bench.
