Conservatives keep power in Australia
Labor leader concedes defeat, to step down
Australia’s ruling conservative coalition defied expectations to retain power in national elections yesterday, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to declare: “I have always believed in miracles!”
“How good is Australia!”, shouted a jubilant Morrison, who came to office just nine months ago in a party coup against his moderate predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull.
While it remained unclear if Morrison’s Liberal party and their rural-based National party partners would win enough seats to form a majority government, the leader of the main opposition Labor party conceded defeat shortly before midnight.
“It is obvious that Labor will not be able to form the next government”, Bill Shorten told stunned supporters in Melbourne.
“In the national interest, a short while ago I called Scott Morrison to congratulate him,” Shorten said, adding that he would also stand down as leader of his party in the wake of its shock defeat.
The result was an upset and a failure by pollsters, who had for months predicted a comfortable victory for Labor after six years in the opposition.
Some bookies had paid out early expecting a coalition defeat and all but the most ardent partisans had thrown in the towel.
The results appeared to show a fractured electorate with minor populist and right-wing parties playing an outsized role in tipping the balance in favour of the conservatives in key districts in the northeast of the country.