Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is set to form a coalition government after Governor General Peter Cosgrove accepted his advice to return to power for a second time.
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Though the question of who won the July 2 election was answered, the question of exactly how the conservatives will rule the fractured Parliament was not.
Earlier in the day, Bill Shorten, the leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party, admitted his party’s elections defeat, promising to work towards bipartisanship whenever possible and to strive towards having a functioning parliament. The focus will now turn to the likely make-up of the upper house, where Turnbull will have to negotiate with disparate independents and minor parties to pass savings measures. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
After eight days of vote-counting, the coalition finally won the 76 seats needed to form a majority in the House of Representatives on Monday, while the resurgent opposition Labour party secured 67 seats.
Mr Shorten has repeatedly referenced Ireland’s 2015 referendum on same-sex marriage, required by their constitution, as a “destructive” and “harmful” experience to be avoided while the Prime Minister has expressed confidence that Australians could have a respectful debate. “The most important people to thank are the Australian people because we have resolved this election and have done so peacefully”, Turnbull, 61, said.
The ABC has called Capricornia for the Nationals’ Michelle Landry, which would give the coalition the 76 seats it needs for a majority government.
Turnbull, a moderate, will also need to face the more conservative lawmakers in his party who are angry that he ousted his predecessor Tony Abbott in an internal leadership ballot less than a year ago.
Earlier Mr Shorten said although counting was still underway, it was clear the Prime Minister would form either a minority or majority government.
“Our policy has not changed on any the of the matters that we took to the election”, he said.
Shortly after, the opposition Labor leader conceded defeat.
“In good faith, I will certainly be seeking a cross-party solution that avoids a plebiscite”.
‘I am proud that Labor is back and that Labor is united.
“One thing which unites Turnbull and I is our love of Australia and our huge respect for our democracy”.
That includes changes to superannuation, which some conservatives have blamed for a backlash against the Coalition and reduced volunteers and donations during the election campaign.
It seems electronic voting in Australian elections is now a live option, with both Shorten and Turnbull discussing electronic voting over the weekend. In several seats, just a few hundred votes were separating the coalition from Labor.
As votes were being counted in the week after the July 2 poll, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s lowered Australia’s stable credit outlook to negative.
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What could count is the warm relationship New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has with Mr Turnbull, with some commentators saying there could be concessions because of Mr Key’s continued pressure.
