Australia ousts Conservatives after nine years

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SYDNEY – Australia’s Labor Party is set to end nearly a decade of conservative rule as the government was swept away by a wave of support for candidates in Saturday’s election who campaigned for more action on climate change and could balance power.

Partial results show that while Labor has made little gains, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal-National Coalition has been punished by voters in Western Australia, and especially by wealthy urban constituencies.

The Greens and a group of so-called “Till Independents” who campaigned on gender equality and the policy to tackle climate change have put up a strong show, tapping voters’ anger for inaction on the environment after some of the worst floods and wildfires. Australia.

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“Tonight, I have spoken with the Leader of the Opposition and incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. And I congratulate him on his election victory this evening, “said Morrison.

Albanese, speaking at his party’s celebration, said he wanted to unite the country and “end the climate war.”

“I think people want to come together, to look after our common interests, to look at those feelings of common purpose. I think the division of the people is enough, all they want is to come together as one nation and I want to lead it. “

Albaniz said he aimed to swear in quickly so he could attend a meeting of the Quad Security Grouping in Tokyo on Tuesday. He promised constitutional recognition and parliamentary representation for indigenous peoples, as well as the establishment of an anti-corruption commission.

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Minority government is possible

As a result, Labor alone has failed to reach 76 of the 151 lower house seats needed to form a government. The final results could take time as a record number of postal votes are counted.

With 60% of the vote counted, Labor won 72 seats and Morrison’s coalition 55 seats. The Australian Broadcasting Corp estimates 11 independents and Greens. Another 13 seats remain in doubt.

The center-left Labor gave a decent lead in opinion polls ahead of the election, although polls show the Liberal-National government has narrowed the gap on the final spread of the six-week campaign.

TURNING TEAL

In one of the biggest blows to the government, Treasurer Josh Friedenberg said it would be “difficult” for him to hold on to Melbourne’s long-held Liberal seat against an independent newcomer.

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Three volunteers working for Till Independent Monique Ryan, who are challenging Friedenberg, joined Ryan’s campaign because they were concerned about the climate for their children and grandchildren.

“For me, this election actually looks promising,” Charlotte Forwood, with three adult children, told Reuters.

With Morrison resigning as party leader and Friedenberg could lose his seat, Secretary of Defense Peter Dutton – a former Queensland policeman – became the preferred choice for leading the Liberals.

Early returns suggest that Greens has made ground, looking to get three seats in Queensland.

Greens leader Adam Bandet, who holds the Melbourne seat in his hometown, says climate is a major problem for voters.

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“There have been attempts from Labor and the Liberals to bury it, and we have been very clear about the need to tackle the climate by tackling coal and gas.”

Morrison and Albanese previously voted for them in Sydney after a whistle-stop tour across the marginal seats over the last two days of the campaign, influenced by rising living costs, climate change and integrity.

As Labor focuses on rising inflation and wage growth, Morrison, a strong supporter of Australia’s coal industry, has focused the country’s lowest unemployment rate for nearly half a century on the last hour of his campaign.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has congratulated Albany.

“Our countries have a long history and a bright future together. As a prosperous, like-minded democracy, we work every day to make the world a better, safer, greener and more prosperous place. “

(Reporting by Renju Jose, John Myer and Byron Kay in Sydney, and Lincoln Feast by Sonali Paul in Melbourne. Editing by Ross Russell, Timothy Heritage, and Frances Carey)