Parties need to hold at least 76 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives in order to form a majority government. “It’s something we should celebrate and not take for granted”, Turnbull told reporters, as cited by the ABC broadcaster.
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The need for Mr Turnbull to court the support of those outside his party saw him stress that he valued every parliamentarian’s contribution, even though he had warned Australians not to vote for minor parties and independents during the election campaign.
“Australia is our closest neighbour and biggest trading partner, and like Prime Minister Turnbull I believe our countries should work even more closely together”, Key said.
The Liberal-National coalition requires 76 seats to claim a majority in the lower house, the House of Representatives.
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.
On the eve of the election, Turnbull pleaded with voters to ignore the smaller parties and independents and eschew what he dismissed as “a protest vote”.
“It is a handsome reminder that we are trustees… for future generations”, he said.
A full eight days after Australia quickly ticked boxes before their democracy sausages, this never-ending election is finally over.
“Whether or not it’s a minority government or a majority government of one or two it’s clear that they will form a government”, he said.
Labor is now on 66 seats.
Postal votes, which are counted after votes received on polling day, heavily favoured the coalition and helped them across the line in a number of closely run electorates.
“I look forward to continuing to work with him on a range of issues including creating more trans-Tasman economic opportunities, supporting New Zealanders living in Australia and worldwide security issues, such as our training mission in Iraq”.
Coalition supporters will be hoping that the post-electoral landscape somehow focuses the mind of the government, and that an electoral win for Mr Turnbull – no matter how unconvincing it might have been – will eventually lend him a legitimacy that he had previously lacked by ascending to the top job by stabbing the incumbent.
Labor vowed not to unduly disrupt the new parliament, although it and several independents oppose much of the coalition’s jobs and growth agenda, from how to return to budget surplus to a proposal for a A$50-billion ($38 billion) corporate tax break.
Given that some of the Coalition’s election promises were to freeze Medicare rebates and reduce school funding it will be interesting to see how Labor intends to keep the Government to these promises while simultaneously opposing them.
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Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves his home in Point Piper in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 06 July 2016.
