The Australian Labor party have conceded defeat in Saturday’s general election in what has been a shock victory for the Liberal party.
The leader of the Australian Labor party, Bill Shorten, has accepted that his party will not be able to form a government, with the Liberal’s leading in or having won 74 of the 76 seats needed to form a majority government.
Exit polls had narrowly predicted a Labor victory, but with 70 per cent reporting, incumbent Scott Morrison looks set to earn the keys to The Lodge – Australia’s primary prime ministerial residence.
It is not impossible that the result still come up in favour of the Labor party, but it seems increasingly likely that the Liberal party coalition has a lead that is insurmountable.
Scott Morrison heads up the Liberal-National coalition and has attributed the victory to the parties’ economic message winning out against the Labor policies of tackling climate change and of a united front, ending over a decade of high leadership turnover.
However, the night was not all good news for the Liberal party, with former prime minister Tony Abbott losing his New South Wales seat of Warringah to independent candidate Zali Steggall.
Abbott led Australia’s liberal party between 2013 and 2015, in a two years that saw scandal and ultimately led to a coup within the party.
Morrison’s government look as though they may struggle to form a majority, leaving the Liberal party in a weak legislative position, however, it seems that the Liberal-National coalition will be the largest party in the Canberra parliament.
Polling before the election had suggested a narrow victory for the Labor party; after years of high turnover government and economic conservatism it appeared that Australia favoured change, but much like the last federal election in 2016 Labor have lost what was described as an unlosable election.
Following the result, Labor’s Bill Shorten is expected to resign his position at the head of the party.
Shorten proved a largely unpopular leader, with him struggling to surpass Scott Morrison in much of the polling on personal characteristics, with most Australian’s feeling that they would rather go with Morrison to watch the footy.
Morrison has taken the victory as a vindication of his economic policies and with the ensuing trade war between Australia’s great ally, the USA and their largest trading partner, China, such policies will be more important than ever.
Australia has made its choice. Although it is far from clear cut; Australia has said ‘Yeah, Nah’ to the Labor party.
