Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he takes “full responsibility” for the Coalition’s election performance, conceding he needs to work harder to rebuild the trust of Australians when it comes to its health policies.
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Counting of 1.1 million votes sent by mail and the large number of votes cast by people who were outside their electorate at the election were underway on Tuesday.
Turnbull, acting as caretaker prime minister while vote counting continues, appeared to have underestimated the protest vote that stole support from both major parties and must now negotiate with minor parties and independents to retain power.
Labor has called on Mr Turnbull to resign for failing to provide the stability he promised, but Coalition frontbencher Josh Frydenberg dismissed that on the ABC’s Q&A program. Turnbull said on Sunday that he believes he will obtain the 76 seats needed to govern in the 150-seat house and said he has contacted independents in the event of needing to form a coalition.
But that was when he was a member of the National Party, he said, adding that now, candidates must be much more responsive to the needs of their constituents.
The Labour party has won 67 seats so far and six have been taken by the Greens and independents.
Analysts said the results – regardless of whether Turnbull’s Liberal party wins or not – are likely to be “disastrous” for the prime minister, who had a 19-seat advantage when he went into the election.
Australia’s federal election on Saturday has yet to produce a victor but regardless of the outcome, a period of political uncertainty risks confidence, efforts at budget fix as well as key pension and property reforms.
“There’s no-one better in a small room than Bill Shorten”, Mr Albanese said.
Mr Shorten did not present any evidence to back up his claim, but said Mr Turnbull would be tempted by the option.
Launching a stinging rebuke, Mr Shorten likened Mr Turnbull’s position to that of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called a referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union – which he effectively lost – and subsequently announced his resignation. “Quite frankly I think he should quit”, Shorten, 49, said.
“We need to listen very carefully to concerns of the Australian people expressed through this election”, he said.
Australian National University political science professor Ian McAllister told CNN another election within a year was possible if neither major party could form a stable government.
“There is a very real chance that Malcolm Turnbull is considering calling a snap election in the mistaken belief that this will sort out his own problems”, he said.
“Fitch views Australia’s overall credit profile as still consistent with a “AAA” rating, but political gridlock that leads to a sustained widening of the deficit would put downward pressure on the rating, particularly if the economic environment deteriorates”, Fitch Ratings said.
He became leader of the Liberal party in an inhouse coup last September that overthrew Tony Abbott, prime minister since 2013.
“He would say that, wouldn’t he?” he told reporters.
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“We will work with the Liberals, we will work with the crossbenchers and the minor parties because this country, and this parliament, is too important to fall foul of needless partisanship”, he said.
