THE vote count in Australia’s general election is proving closer than opinion polls had predicted, with the ruling conservative coalition appearing more likely to form a government than the favoured centre-left opposition party.
Opposition Labour Party deputy leader Tanya Plibersek had said in early counting that she was “more cautiously optimistic than confident”, but she predicted a tighter result as counting progressed.
It was not clear whether the results would be available by the end of vote counting yesterday.
Opinion polls had suggested that the conservative Liberal Party-led coalition would lose its bid for a third three-year term, and that Scott Morrison would have had one of the shortest tenures as prime minister in the 118-year history of the Australian federation. Opposition leader Bill Shorten, pictured, said that he was confident Labour would win, but Morrison would not be drawn on a prediction. Morrison is the Conservatives’ third prime minister since they were first elected in 2013.
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