Scott Morrison wins the election

Scott Morrison has described his surprise election victory as a miracle and hailed Australia as the greatest country in the world. 

At the stroke of midnight, the Prime Minister spoke about his Christian faith during a rousing victory speech in Sydney – minutes after Bill Shorten conceded defeat and resigned as Labor leader.

‘I have always believed in miracles and I’m standing with the three biggest miracles in my life tonight and tonight we’ve been delivered another one,’ he said, standing next to his wife Jenny and their daughters Abbey and Lily.

‘How good is Australia and how good are Australians?’

The Pentecostal leader ended his upbeat 14-minute speech by again praising the Almighty, after winning an election victory which the opinion polls and the betting markets had failed to predict.

‘God bless Australia,’ he told Liberal Party supporters at the Sofitel-Wentworth hotel.

The Coalition has secured a third consecutive term in power for the first time since 2001, securing a surprise national swing of 1.5 per cent in its favour, leaving it two electorates short of a majority with 74 seats so far.

Labor has lost at least five seats in Brisbane, regional Queensland, Tasmania and western Sydney, leaving it with 66 seats in the expanded 151-member House of Representatives, after vowing to scrap negative gearing for existing properties and deprive some share-owning retirees of franking credits.

 

Scott Morrison has thanked God and hailed Australia as the greatest country in the world after unexpectedly winning the election (Prime Minister is pictured at Sydney’s Sofitel Wentworth hotel with wife Jenny and daughters Abbey and Lily)

The Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them – particularly in Queensland – granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of pro-climate change action independents, Zali Steggall and Helen Haines.

Mr Morrison, who became Prime Minister in August, promised to work hard for all Australians.  

I said that I was going to burn for you, and I am, every, single day,’ he said.

Mr Shorten conceded defeat shortly after 11.30pm and declared he would step down as party leader, after almost six years heading Labor and fighting an election based on a big-spending health and education agenda and tackling climate change.

‘I know that you’re all hurting and I am too,’ he told his supporters in Melbourne.

‘It’s obvious Labor will not be able to form the next government. This has been a tough campaign, toxic at times.

‘Whilst I intend to continue to serve as the member for Maribyrnong, I will not be a candidate in the next Labor leadership ballot.’ 

He has become the first Labor leader since Kim Beazley to have lost two consecutive elections and like him was also divorced and remarried. 

Standing next to his wife Jenny and their daughters Abbey and Lily, the Prime Minister described his surprise election victory as a miracle like his daughters

Standing next to his wife Jenny and their daughters Abbey and Lily, the Prime Minister described his surprise election victory as a miracle like his daughters 

At the stroke of midnight, minutes after Bill Shorten conceded defeat and resigned as Labor leader, the Prime Minister spoke about his Christian faith during a rousing victory speech in Sydney (Scott Morrison is pictured with wife Jenny)

At the stroke of midnight, minutes after Bill Shorten conceded defeat and resigned as Labor leader, the Prime Minister spoke about his Christian faith during a rousing victory speech in Sydney (Scott Morrison is pictured with wife Jenny)

The Pentecostal leader ended his upbeat 14-minute speech by again praising the Almighty, after winning an election victory which the opinion polls and the betting markets had failed to predict. 'God bless Australia,' he told Liberal Party supporters at the Sofitel-Wentworth hotel

The Pentecostal leader ended his upbeat 14-minute speech by again praising the Almighty, after winning an election victory which the opinion polls and the betting markets had failed to predict. ‘God bless Australia,’ he told Liberal Party supporters at the Sofitel-Wentworth hotel

Mr Shorten has called the Prime Minister to congratulate him on his election victory, adding he had sent his best wishes to his wife Jenny and their daughters.

‘In the national interest, a short while ago, I called Scott Morrison to congratulate him,’ he said.

‘Now that the contest is over, all of us have a responsibility to accept the result, respect the wishes of the Australian people to bring our nation together.’

The Opposition Leader’s concession speech was made two days after Labor’s longest-serving prime minister Bob Hawke died, aged 89.   

‘I wish we could have done it for Bob but it was not to be,’ Mr Shorten said to applause.

Labor hasn’t won a third consecutive term federally since 1987, a feat which the Liberal Party’s John Howard achieved in 2001 with Mr Morrison joining their ranks in May 2019.

The Opposition struggled to pick up enough seats even in Melbourne, in Mr Shorten’s home state of Victoria, and has lost electorates in Brisbane, north Queensland, western Sydney and Tasmania.

Bill Shorten has congratulated Prime Minister Scott Morrison on winning a surprise election victory and confirmed he would be resigning as Labor leader

Bill Shorten has congratulated Prime Minister Scott Morrison on winning a surprise election victory and confirmed he would be resigning as Labor leader

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them - particularly in Queensland - granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of pro-climate change action independents (pictured is Bill Shorten with wife Chloe)

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them – particularly in Queensland – granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of pro-climate change action independents (pictured is Bill Shorten with wife Chloe)

 Mr Shorten’s big-target strategy backfired, with voters rejecting his plans to curb negative gearing tax breaks for investor landlords, deprive share-owning retirees of franking credits and slash carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton secured a swing to him in his northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, as Queenslanders swung political baseballs bats against Labor right across the state. 

ABC election analyst Antony Green said Labor had little hope of even forming a minority government, with Labor failing to pick up any marginal seats in Perth. 

To form a minority government the Coalition may have to rely on new climate change action independents Zali Steggall, a former Winter Olympian who defeated former prime minister Tony Abbott in Warringah, and Helen Haines, who won an historic victory in the northern Victorian electorate of Indi.

The Nationals had strong swings to them in north Queensland based on their support for the Adani coal mine, which could complicate a power-sharing arrangement.

Scott Morrison’s victory speech

Thank you, friends! Thank you, friends! 

Can I just start by saying, as you know, a little while ago, Mr Shorten contacted me and I thank him.

No. I thank him very much in the spirit in which he made that call and I thank him very much for his kind remarks to me, and to Jenny, and to our family.

And I would like to wish him and Chloe, and his family all the best, and God’s blessing.

I have always believed in miracles! I’m standing with the three biggest miracles in my leaf here tonight!  And tonight we’ve been delivered another one! 

How good is Australia? And how good are Australians? This is – this is – the best country in the world in which to live.

And it’s those Australians that we have been working for for the last five and a half years since we came to Government, under Tony Abbott’s leadership back in 2013. 

It has been those Australians who have worked hard every day, they have their dreams, they have their aspirations, to get a job, to get an apprenticeship, to start a business, to meet someone amazing. 

To start a family, to buy a home, to work hard and provide the best you can for your kids. To save your retirement. And to ensure that when you’re in your retirement, that you can enjoy it because you’ve worked hard for it. 

These are the quiet Australians who have won a great victory tonight! 

 Because it’s always been about them. It’s always been for those of you watching this at home tonight, for me and for my Government, for all of my team, it’s all about you.

Tonight is not about me or it’s not about even the Liberal Party. Tonight is about every single Australian who depends on their Government to put them first! 

And so, friends, that is exactly what we are going to do. Our Government will come together after this fight and we will get back to work, just as Gladys Berejiklian got back to work here in New South Wales.

Just a few months ago. And that is our task, and that my undertaking to Australians from one end of the country to the other. I said that I was going to burn for you, and I am, every, single day. 

So let me talk about some of our other miracles tonight. 

Melissa McIntosh out there in Lindsay! Bill Thompson up there in Townsville and Herbert!  Bridget Archer down there in Bass!  The Big Unit, Gav Pearce, down there in Braddon! Terry Young up there in Longman in Brisbane!  Sarah Richards, we’re bringing back Macquarie! 

But in saying that, can I also say thank you to some great service and I hope will continue to be service, at least in a number of these cases.

Can I start off by saying thank you to Tony Abbott for your service to this country. 

And to Sarah Henderson and Warren Mundine, who are still in there and we’ve still got votes to count, and they’re not stepping back – can I thank them very much for the hard campaign that they have fought. 

To all of those in the seats that we held going into this campaign, who had to work hard to ensure that, as a result of their incredible efforts, they were able to be returned tonight, can I particularly thank Jason Wood.

Michael Sukkar, David Coleman down in Banks! 

Lucy Wicks up there in Robertson. Pretty much, the whole state of Queensland!  How good’s Queensland? 

I never thought I’d hear that in this room in New South Wales, this close to Origin. Particularly to Peter Dutton, to Trev Evans, Luke Howard, good, old Ken O’Dowd, Warren Entsch there, right up the top – all of our Queensland members, I want to thank you. 

We have some great new members coming in as well, Dr Fiona Martin is here with us in Reid, Professor Cecilia Hammond over there in the west coming in Curtin, and Angie Bell up there on the Gold Coast. 

I want to thank all of my candidates, all of my members, all of you who have worked so hard to get them where we have been able to come to tonight on behalf of all of those Australians that we work for, and we serve, and we do it humbly, and we do it in great appreciation. 

I particularly want to thank a number of people who’ve been instrumental in tonight’s result. I want to start – I want to start by thanking Gladys Berejiklian, Steven Marshall, the Premier of South South Australia, and Will Hodgman, the Premier of Tasmania. 

They have led by example in their great victories and they’ve shown us the way at the federal level and they have worked so hard for us all around, to Gladys, particularly here in my home state – thank you so much. 

And campaigning without drawing a breath, the great John Howard and Jeanette Howard.  

I of course want to thank all of my leadership team who have served so well and so loyally. To Michael McCormack and all of our team at the Nationals.

To the Big Mac as I like to call him, to Bridget McKenzie, thank you so much for all you have done, we are a tremendous Coalition and we will be after tonight. 

I also want to thank Josh Frydenberg. Josh is a great mate, and he has been a great Deputy leader. Well down there in Melbourne, Josh, we’ve held the whole team together. And it’s a pretty good Budget too – back in surplus, next year! 

Of course to Mathias Cormann, who has been our Minister-in-residence up in Queensland, and to Simon Birmingham, who has been our campaign spokesperson. 

But another person I particularly want to thank tonight is – is Greg Hunt. Greg Hunt is an outstanding Health Minister and he stood up there in Flinders, and it’s great to have you back, mate. 

There’s a lot of people to thank. But Andrew Hirst, our Federal Director. And to Nick Greiner, together with Andrew Burns, our Federal Treasurer, I thank him very much, and all the state directors around the country – they have run an outstanding campaign. 

They have set a new mark, a new model, a new way for us to campaign as a Liberal and National team and this has really set an entirely new benchmark, Hirsty, and

I want to thank you for your leadership at our HQ. To my own team and my own staff, can I thank the staff, my Chief of Staff, and I think my PPS, Andrew Cardwell, leading the media team, and can I also send a long thank you over the Nullarbor over to Benny Morton, who has been with me every step of the way. 

And all of my colleagues.  It remains only to thank those who have been so – so close to me all of my life, Mary and John Morrison are here tonight – my parents and my brother, Allan, and his wife Suzie. My mother-in-law Beth is here. 

They’re just over here on my left. You all got to know Gary, amazing fellow. And my brother Allan, who I mentioned – I mentioned Allan. 

We shared a room together in university. You’ve probably heard me tell that story about 20 times. 

But to the dearest of my family who are with me here tonight, to my beautiful miracle girls, Abbey and Lily, thank you.

And to the woman I fell in love with in my teens, and it’s never let up, and now Australia has fallen in love with her, Jenny Morrison.

So, friends, we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got a lot of work to do. And we’re going to get back to work. 

We’re going to get back to work for the Australians that we know go to work every day, who face those struggles and trials every day. 

They’re looking for a fair go and they’re having a go and they’re going to get a go from our Government. 

Every single day, they are who we’ll have right in front of us as we put in place and continue the policies, which we know will keep our economy strong, to guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on. 

That’ll keep Australians safe and secure. And most importantly, most personally, that will keep Australians together. 

We are an amazing country of amazing people. God bless Australia!

 

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them - particularly in Queensland - granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of independents (pictured is Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton who had a swing to him in his Brisbane seat of Dickson)

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them – particularly in Queensland – granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of independents (pictured is Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton who had a swing to him in his Brisbane seat of Dickson)

Scott Morrison will remain as Prime Minister after an extraordinary night saw the Coalition claim an unexpected election win (pictured are distraught Labor Party supporters in Melbourne's Hyatt Palace)

Scott Morrison will remain as Prime Minister after an extraordinary night saw the Coalition claim an unexpected election win (pictured are distraught Labor Party supporters in Melbourne’s Hyatt Palace)

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them - particularly in Queensland - granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of independents (pictured is a Liberal Party supporter at Sydney's Sofitel-Wentworth Hotel)

In a result which opinion polls and betting markets failed to predict, the Liberal and the National parties recorded strong swings to them – particularly in Queensland – granting them a possible slim majority or a minority with the support of independents (pictured is a Liberal Party supporter at Sydney’s Sofitel-Wentworth Hotel)

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard, who won that election, said voters had rejected Labor's 'politics of class division'

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard, who won that election, said voters had rejected Labor’s ‘politics of class division’

‘At this stage, we think the Morrison Government has been re-elected. We can’t see an alternative to a Morrison Government in the numbers we’re seeing at the moment,’  Mr Green said.

‘We can’t say whether the Government will be in a majority or minority, but we’re certainly seeing enough numbers to say that the Coalition will end up with more seats than Labor.’

LABOR BLOODBATH

Longman, in northern Brisbane, appears lost with sitting Labor member Susan Lamb suffering a 4.2 per cent swing against her.

Herbert, which Labor’s Cathy O’Toole won by just 37 votes in 2016, has been turfed out of this Townsville-based electorate in north Queensland with a swing against her of 6.7 per cent. 

It has also lost Lindsay, in western Sydney, suffering a swing against it of 4.2 per cent. Labor disendorsed Emma Husar after her staff made bullying allegations. 

Bass in northern Tasmania is also out of its grasp, with the Liberal securing a 6.7 per cent to it. 

Braddon, in Tasmania’s west, has also thrown out Labor, which saw a 5.6 per cent swing against it. 

Mr Green said the result was a ‘spectacular failure of opinion polls’ with the upset representing the first occasion since 2004 that a federal government has enjoyed a swing towards it.

The Labor’s qualified support for the Adani coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin has boosted the Nationals in their most marginal seats, with swings of 12 per cent to it in Dawson and Capricornia, centred around Mackay and Rockhampton.

Former Liberal prime minister John Howard, who won that election, said voters had rejected Labor’s ‘politics of class division’.

‘I did believe very strongly Bill Shorten had overplayed his hand on the class warfare,’ he said.

‘Australians believe in egalitarianism.’

Ironically, the Coalition had not won a Newspoll since 2016 and Labor had won 55 consecutive Newspolls going into the election.

This included a period which saw Malcolm Turnbull replaced in August as prime minister after the Liberal Party’s right-faction revolted against his energy policy.

Labor, so far, appears to have only gained the NSW South Coast seat of Gilmore, where the Liberal Party was running former Labor national president Warren Mundine.

It is struggling to even pick up Chisholm in Melbourne’s south-east where sitting member Julia Banks had quit the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, failing to secure the necessary three per cent swing to take it off the Liberal Party.

Labor earlier had an outside chance of winning Boothby, in Adelaide’s south, with a swing of 3.2 per cent towards it – in a seat the Liberal Party has held since 1949. 

Zali Steggall (pictured), a Winter Olympic skiing medalist, has romped home on Sydney's northern beaches in a contest fought over climate change action, ending former prime minister Tony Abbott's 25-year political career

Zali Steggall (pictured), a Winter Olympic skiing medalist, has romped home on Sydney’s northern beaches in a contest fought over climate change action, ending former prime minister Tony Abbott’s 25-year political career 

Having now lost two elections, he will most likely to be replaced as Labor leader, six years after he beat left-faction contender Anthony Albanese, even though his opponent had more support from party members in a postal ballot.

‘Tonight is an outcome that is disappointing,’ Mr Albanese told his supporters in Sydney’s inner-west.

‘We seek to form government to change the country and we shouldn’t be shy about that.

‘We have had a redistributive agenda in order to fund schools, hospitals and public transport.’  

Outlining a possible new tilt for the leadership, Mr Albanese declared he had never put himself before the party, arguing a Labor government was needed to address ‘economic power, political power and social power’ to ‘stand up for the interests of working-class people’. 

His Sydney-based deputy Tanya Plibersek is another possible leadership contender and blamed preferences from One Nation and mining magnate Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party for the poor result in Queensland.

‘It’s not the result we’d hoped for in Queensland,’ she told the ABC.

Mr Howard likened Labor’s loss to the 1993 ‘unloseable’ election when Liberal leader John Hewson was defeated, campaigning for a 15 per cent GST. 

‘There was a whiff of 1993 about the last couple of weeks,’ he told the ABC. 

A minority Coalition government may have to rely on new independents Zali Steggall (pictured), a former Winter Olympian who defeated former prime minister Tony Abbott in his Sydney seat of Warringah, and Helen Haines, who has won the northern Victorian electorate of Indi

A minority Coalition government may have to rely on new independents Zali Steggall (pictured), a former Winter Olympian who defeated former prime minister Tony Abbott in his Sydney seat of Warringah, and Helen Haines, who has won the northern Victorian electorate of Indi

Tony Abbott (pictured with sister-in-law Virginia Flitcroft) also declared Scottr Morrison, who replaced Mr Turnbull as PM in August, would be a Liberal Party legend. 'Scott Morrison will rightly enter the Liberal pantheon forever,' he said

Tony Abbott (pictured with sister-in-law Virginia Flitcroft) also declared Scottr Morrison, who replaced Mr Turnbull as PM in August, would be a Liberal Party legend. ‘Scott Morrison will rightly enter the Liberal pantheon forever,’ he said

Liberal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has survived and recorded a 3.8 per cent to him in his marginal northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, despite earlier controversy earlier in the campaign where he questioned the living arrangements of his Labor opponent Ali France, who lost a leg in 2011

Liberal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has survived and recorded a 3.8 per cent to him in his marginal northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, despite earlier controversy earlier in the campaign where he questioned the living arrangements of his Labor opponent Ali France, who lost a leg in 2011

‘One side had been ahead in the polls but the other had gained ground during the campaign.’

On the NSW Central Coast, which had a high number of retirees, the Liberal Party recorded a 4.3 per cent swing to it, boosting sitting member Lucy Wicks’ margin to 5.5 per cent. 

The Liberal Party, however, has been punished in one of Sydney’s wealthiest electorates. 

On the northern beaches, Mr Abbott became the first major casualty of an surprising general election, losing his blue-ribbon seat of Warringah after 25 years in Parliament.

His independent challenger Ms Steggall has romped home, leading the former PM 58 to 42 per cent after preferences, securing a mammoth 19 per cent swing.   

‘I know I’m going to sound croaky but what a day,’ she said, claiming victory. 

Taking a dig at her socially-conservative opponent Mr Abbott, she this was ‘a win for moderates with a heart.’

‘I will be a climate leader for you,’ she said. ‘I will hold the new government to account and make sure they take action on climate change.’

Mr Shorten's big-target strategy backfired, with voters rejecting his plans to curb negative gearing tax breaks for investor landlords, deprive share-owning retirees of franking credits and slash carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 (pictured are Labor supporters in Melbourne)

Mr Shorten’s big-target strategy backfired, with voters rejecting his plans to curb negative gearing tax breaks for investor landlords, deprive share-owning retirees of franking credits and slash carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 (pictured are Labor supporters in Melbourne)

She paid tribute to the former PM’s ‘work ethic and contribution to this community’. 

Conceding defeat, Mr Abbott said: ‘I’d rather be a loser than a quitter.’

He also declared Mr Morrison, who replaced Mr Turnbull as PM in August, would be a Liberal Party legend.

‘Scott Morrison will rightly enter the Liberal pantheon forever,’ he said. 

Former Nationals deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce slammed GetUp! and left-wing activists for targeting Mr Abbott, as the Coalition recorded strong swings to it in Brisbane’s outer suburbs and regional Queensland.

‘You went after Tony you clowns … and forgot about everyone else,’ he told the ABC. 

Across the other side of Sydney Harbour, independent MP Dr Kerryn Phelps was in a close race with her Liberal challenger Dave Sharma, seven months after she won a by-election in former PM Malcolm Turnbull’s old eastern suburbs electorate. 

Conceding defeat, Mr Abbott said: 'I'd rather be a loser than a quitter' as he addressed supporters at Manly Leagues Club in Brookvale on Sydney's northern beaches

Conceding defeat, Mr Abbott said: ‘I’d rather be a loser than a quitter’ as he addressed supporters at Manly Leagues Club in Brookvale on Sydney’s northern beaches

In Queensland, the Labor Party suffered a 4.4 per cent against it, making it the Opposition’s worst state.

Liberal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has survived and recorded a 3.8 per cent to him in his marginal northern Brisbane seat of Dickson, despite earlier controversy earlier in the campaign where he questioned the living arrangements of his Labor opponent Ali France, who lost a leg in 2011.

He described his win as ‘the sweetest victory of all ‘ – quoting former Labor prime minister Paul Keating’s victory speech in 1993, when won the ‘unloseable’ election.

The Sunshine State was bad for Labor, which was on course to lose neighbouring Longman, in Brisbane’s north, with a 4.1 per cent swing to the Liberal National Party.

Herbert, which Labor’s Cathy O’Toole won by 37 votes in 2016, was lost, with a seven per cent swing to the LNP.

The Liberal National Party is also recording strong swings to it in its marginal seats of Capricornia, Dawson, Petrie and Forde. 

Liberal Immigration Minister David Coleman has retained the south-west Sydney seat of Banks with a 4.3 per cent swing towards him, boosting his margin to 5.8 per cent in a seat that Labor had held from 1949 to 2013 (pictured is a supporter of his at Sydney's Sofitel-Wentworth Hotel)

Liberal Immigration Minister David Coleman has retained the south-west Sydney seat of Banks with a 4.3 per cent swing towards him, boosting his margin to 5.8 per cent in a seat that Labor had held from 1949 to 2013 (pictured is a supporter of his at Sydney’s Sofitel-Wentworth Hotel)

Senior Labor frontbencher Penny Wong acknowledged the areas of Australia north of the Tweed were historically hard for her party to maintain support.

‘Queensland’s tough for us,’ she told the ABC. 

NSW Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was ‘straight forward’ and popular in the outer suburbs of Brisbane.

‘A personifies a certain daggyness people aspire to,’ he told the ABC.

Senator Sinodinos said the anti-Adani protests led by a former Greens leader – ‘Bob Brown’s caravan’ – had also hurt Labor in north Queensland.

Tasmania is also punishing the Opposition, with the regional seats of Bass and Braddon going to the Liberal Party with swings of six per cent. 

Labor is also suffering double-digit swings against it in in western Sydney, where it looks likely to lose the seat of Lindsay and possibly neighbouring Macquarie, where the Liberal Party was marginally ahead on Saturday night.

Liberal Immigration Minister David Coleman has retained the south-west Sydney seat of Banks with a 4.3 per cent swing towards him, boosting his margin to 5.8 per cent in a seat that Labor had held from 1949 to 2013.

This is in stark contrast to an early Nine Network/Galaxy exit poll which showed Bill Shorten would be Australia’s next prime minister, with the Opposition ahead of the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis nationwide.

The poll surveyed 33 electorates across six states and found a swing to the ALP in every state, ranging from 1.1 per cent in Queensland, 3.2 per cent in Victoria and 2.5 per cent in New South Wales. 

Reason to be confident: Bill Shorten and his wife Chloe voted at a polling station in Melbourne's Moonee Ponds today. The Nine Network/Galaxy exit poll found Labor ahead of the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent on a two party preferred basis nationwide, as 16 million Australians cast their votes

Reason to be confident: Bill Shorten and his wife Chloe voted at a polling station in Melbourne’s Moonee Ponds today. The Nine Network/Galaxy exit poll found Labor ahead of the Coalition 52 to 48 per cent on a two party preferred basis nationwide, as 16 million Australians cast their votes

The exit poll, since proven wrong, had the Coalition’s primary vote sinking by three per cent, to 39 per cent, since the 2016 election, which former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull narrowly won.

Labor’s first-preference vote has surged by the same margin to 38 per cent, giving it the edge with preferences from the Greens, who had 10 per cent support.

The major parties will need 76 seats to win a parliamentary majority in an expanded 151-seat House of Representatives with early counting showing uneven swings in key marginal seats.

The Nine exit poll of 3000 voters found that health and Medicare were the main issues that influenced their voting, followed by cost of living and climate change.

The Labor Opposition went into the election notionally holding 72 seats, following redistributions, compared with 73 for the Coalition. 

A tight election result had been widely expected, worrying Labor and Coalition strategists with polls now closed in all parts of the nation except Western Australia (pictured is senator and former NSW Labor premier Kristina Keneally)

A tight election result had been widely expected, worrying Labor and Coalition strategists with polls now closed in all parts of the nation except Western Australia (pictured is senator and former NSW Labor premier Kristina Keneally)

After casting his vote in Moonee Ponds, Victoria and awkwardly eating a democracy sausage, the Labor leader gave a short speech outlining his priorities for government

After casting his vote in Moonee Ponds, Victoria and awkwardly eating a democracy sausage, the Labor leader gave a short speech outlining his priorities for government

His Queensland Liberal National Party could lose Forde, in Brisbane’s south, along with Capricornia, centred around Rockhampton, and Flynn, which takes in Gladstone.

The exit poll came as Scott Morrison refused to say whether he will carry on as Liberal Leader should he lose the election. 

The Prime Minister addressed the media after kissing his wife Jenny as they cast their ballots in his electorate of Cook, in southern Sydney.

Unlike his confident opponent Mr Shorten this morning, Mr Morrison shied away from predicting the result.

‘I make no assumptions about tonight,’ the Prime Minister said.

He then refused to comment on whether he would continue as Liberal leader as he stares down the barrel of defeat after serving just nine months as PM.

‘As I have said when this question has been put to me before, this election is not about my future. It is about your future. It is about the people of Australia’s future,’ Mr Morrison said. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny Morrison cast their votes at Lilli Pilli Public School in Cook

Mr Morrison kissed and hugged his wife after they cast their votes

Prime Minister Scott Morrison kissed his wife Jenny after the pair cast their votes at Lilli Pilli Public School in Cook, Sydney

Bill Shorten kisses a voter's baby in Melbourne

Mr Shorten hugs an elderly voter in the line to vote

Bill Shorten kisses a voter’s baby in Melbourne before hugging an elderly voter in the line to cast a ballot

‘It is about their aspirations, their ambitions. It is not about my aspirations or Bill Shorten’s ambition, it is about the Australian people’s aspiration and that is what I have focused on.’

Revealing that he voted for himself, he joked: ‘I think you can guess how I voted today because I hear the local member is pretty good.’ 

Mr Morrison thanked supporters and said he would not like to predict the result, adding: ‘I make no assumptions about tonight. 

‘I respect this process. It is dear to my heart, the democracy of our country. I am making no presumptions. I don’t take anyone’s support in this country for granted.’

The election is being held just two days after the death of Labor’s longest-serving prime minister Bob Hawke, who won four elections in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1990.

Mr Shorten cancelled last-minute campaigning in Brisbane to focus on remembering Mr Hawke at memorial events in Sydney.

The former Australian Workers Union leader this morning said he is so confident of winning the election that he is already planning what he would do on his first day in power.

He gave a short speech outlining his priorities, after casting his vote at Moonee Ponds, in his Melbourne electorate of Maribyrnong  and awkwardly eating a democracy sausage.

Should the Opposition Leader prevail tonight, he would become Australia’s sixth prime minister since June 2013 – a sharp contrast to an era when Mr Hawke governed for almost nine years through several recessions and implemented far-reaching economic reforms with support from the union movement.

In less than six years, Australia has gone through Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd from the Labor side, and Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and now Mr Morrison from the Liberal Party. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, gestures while holdi

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, hugs his wife Jenny after casting his ballot in the federal election in Sydney

Since 2010, four of them have dumped by their own party, with Mr Shorten playing  a pivotal role as a factional powerbroker in the dumping of two Labor PMs.

A victory for Mr Shorten tonight would also make him the first sitting Australian prime minister to have divorced and remarried and the 31st person to occupy the nation’s highest office.

His stepchildren Rupert, 17, and Georgette, 16, and his seven-year-old daughter Clementine will be the first blended family to live at The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House on Sydney Harbour.

Should Mr Morrison remain as Liberal Party leader, he would be the first electorally defeated prime minister to take over as Opposition Leader since Gough Whitlam remained as Labor leader in December 1975, following the controversial November 11 Dismissal.

With less than nine months as PM, he is the shortest serving officeholder since Country Party leader John McEwen briefly served in that role in December 1967 and January 1968, following Harold Holt’s drowning.   

Standing alongside his popular wife Chloe, he declared that his first move would be to make a law raising pay for shift-workers at nights and weekends.   

The 52-year-old said: ‘In the event that the people of Australia voted for action on climate change, we will be ready to hit the ground from tomorrow. We’ll be ready to start straight away and we will start straight away.

‘My first cabinet meeting, the first order of business, we will put a submission to the independent umpire to get the wages moving again for millions of our fellow Australians. 

‘My first legislation will be to reverse the cuts to penalty rates.’

Mr Shorten also explained that tackling climate change is another priority, saying: ‘We will convene the parliament as soon as possible to start action on climate change.  

A reporter asked Mr Shorten if he would quit politics if he lost the election. 

‘Let’s hold the horses here,’ the leader replied. ‘I’m confident that Labor can win. Is Mr Morrison staying around? Have you asked him?’

The final Newspoll of the campaign had showed Labor edging ahead of the coalition by 51.5 to 48.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk