Australian Prime Minister admits electoral defeat
The Prime Minister of Australia has conceded defeat after a Saturday election that could give a minority government.
Scott Morrison has acted swiftly despite millions of votes still to be counted as the Australian Prime Minister is due to attend a Tokyo summit on Tuesday with US, Japanese and Indian leaders.
“I believe it is very important that this country has certainty. I think it’s very important that this country can move forward, “said Morrison.
“And particularly during this week with the important meetings that are taking place, I think it is very important to have a very clear understanding about the government of this country,” he added.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as Prime Minister after his Labor party won its first election since 2007.
Labor has promised more financial aid and a strong social safety net as Australia faces its highest inflation since 2001 and rising house prices.
The party is also planning to raise the minimum wage, and on the foreign policy front, has proposed establishing a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China’s potential military presence in the Islands. Solomon on the doorstep of Australia.
It also needs to tackle climate change with a more ambitious 43% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The coalition led by Morrison’s Liberal party was seeking a fourth three-year term. It has the narrowest of the majorities – 76 seats in the 151-member House of Representatives, where parties need a majority to form a government.
In the early hours of Saturday, the coalition was on track to win 38 seats, 71 Labor, seven were misaligned legislators and 23 were too close to call.
Minority and independent parties appeared to be taking votes from the major parties, increasing the likelihood of a stalled parliament and a minority government.
Australia’s most recent hanging parliaments were from 2010-13, and during World War II.
A record proportion of postal votes due to the pandemic, which will not increase with the count until Sunday, adds to the uncertainty in the early count.
Along with anti-Labor campaigns, Morrison’s Conservative Liberals fought a new challenge from the so-called independent teal candidates to the re-election of key government lawmakers in party strongholds.
At least four Liberal lawmakers appeared to have lost their seats due to an independent teal including Liberal Party deputy leader Josh Frydenberg, who was considered Morrison’s most likely successor.
“What we have achieved here is extraordinary,” said teal candidate and former foreign correspondent Zoe Daniels in her victory speech. “It’s a safe Liberal seat. Previous for two terms. Independent, ”she added.
The teal independents are marketed as a greener shade than the traditional blue color of the Liberal Party and want stronger government action on reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions than the government is proposing. or Labor.
Government Senate leader Simon Birmingham has been concerned about major changes to several teal candidates.
“It’s a clear problem that we are losing seats that are core seats, which have defined the Liberal Party for generations,” Birmingham said.
“If we lose those seats – it’s not certain they will – but it’s clear there’s a big move against us and there’s a big message in it,” Birmingham added.
Due to the pandemic, about half of Australia’s 17 million voters voted early or applied for postal votes, which is likely to reduce the number.
Voting is compulsory for adult citizens and 92% of registered voters cast their ballots in the last election.
Early voting for travel or work purposes began two weeks ago and the Australian Electoral Commission will continue to collect postal votes for another two weeks.
The government changed regulations on Friday to allow people recently infected with COVID-19 to vote by telephone.
Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said more than 7,000 polling stations had opened as planned and on time across Australia despite 15% of voting staff falling ill this week with COVID-19 and the flu. .
Albanese said he thought Morrison would call an election last weekend as the Australian Prime Minister is expected to attend a summit in Tokyo on Tuesday with US President Joe Biden. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“If we get a clear result today then who is the Prime Minister will be on a plane to Tokyo on Monday, which is not ideal, I must say, immediately after a campaign,” Albanese said.
Analysts said Morrison left the election until the last available date for him to give himself more time to reduce Labor’s lead in opinion polls.