Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded defeat in the general election. As of earlier counts, the governing coalition was in the process of winning 38 seats in parliament. The opposition Labor Party took 71. Morrison spoke before the millions of votes were counted.
“I think it is very important that there is certainty in this country,” he said. Labor boss Anthony Albanese will be the new prime minister. He can form a minority government. Thus the Social Democratic Labor Party is returning to power after almost ten years.
Center-left’s first electoral victory since 2007
Morrison’s Conservative government had sought a fourth three-year term. This is the first election victory for the centre-left Labor Party since 2007. The Labor Party promises more spending on childcare and elderly care.
The fact that Morrison soon gave up is related to the fact that the Quad group is scheduled to hold a summit in Tokyo on Tuesday. The group includes Australia, Japan, the United States and India. The Australian Prime Minister is to attend the meeting.
Nothing changes even the date of the last possible election
The pre-election elections saw the Albanese ahead. Morrison and Albany were also campaigning in Melbourne on Saturday and later voted in their Sydney constituencies. According to analysts, Morrison had put the election on the last possible date in hopes of being able to catch up with Labor.
In addition to Labor, Morrison’s Conservative government also struggled for more ambitious climate policies, with smaller parties and independent candidates running in strongholds of the ruling Liberal Party. According to preliminary calculations, they were contesting votes from major parties, raising the possibility of a parliament without an absolute majority from one party.
Nearly 8 million postal voters
Due to the corona pandemic, nearly half of the 17 million eligible voters had already voted by letter. Your votes will not be added to the results until Sunday. On Friday, the government changed the rules so that infected people could vote over the phone. In Australia, voting is compulsory for adult citizens.
Elections Superintendent Tom Rogers said more than 7,000 polling stations opened on time, even though 15 percent of polling personnel had contracted COVID-19 or the flu this week.
Morrison announces resignation from party leadership
“It’s a tough night for the Liberals,” Morrison, 54, announced his resignation from the party leadership. It was a privilege “to lead this great nation”. Morrison has been in office since 2018. With tears in his eyes, Albanese declared his supporters cheering: “This victory fills me with humility and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. ” They pledged to promote unity and optimism and address the climate crisis.
According to ABC Television’s calculations, Labor will be able to form at least a minority government, and that may be enough for a majority government. By late evening, the party had secured 72 seats in the lower house. The majority is of 76 seats. According to these figures, the conservative coalition of liberals and citizens, which has ruled together since 2013, initially has only 55 seats. Now you can’t get majority.
