A decisive victory for Abbott!
Beaming Mr Abbott with wife Margaret and daughters Bridget, Frances and Louise
By Rekha Bhattacharjee
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has won with a decisive victory! Labor has avoided the rout it had feared. Currently the Australian electoral commission (AEC) has the Coalition with 88 seats in the lower house, Labor on 57, one for the Greens (Adam Bandt retained Melbourne), Bob Katter, and one independent win in Andrew Wilkie.
Clive Palmer, a QLD businessman who fielded a new party only in this election for the first time and spent a lot of money, has said Tony Abbott would not be prime minister were it not for preferences from his Palmer United party,” adding, “We got more votes than the National party nationally and they have been around for 100 years.”
“We had six per cent and we preferenced the Liberal Party. The swing against Labor was 4.5 per cent,” Palmer told AAP.
Within the Coalition, the breakdown looks like this: Liberal party: 57; Liberal National party: 21; National party: 9; Country Liberals (NT): 1
Abbott may be forced to negotiate over core promises because of 8 smaller parties winning seats in the senate. The Liberal party’s big ticket policy items, including repeal of carbon tax and paid parental leave, depend on gaining senate majority.
While overall swing against Labor registered nationally at 3.5 % surprisingly the seat of
Greenway registered a swing of 3.1% against the Liberals, bucking the national trend.
Historians are likely to treat Rudd and Gillard more kindly than the Murdoch Press has highlighting the legislative and policy record. Noted for the global financial crisis, the Asian Century and climate change Rudd rightly argued that the Asian century posed both great opportunities and great challenges for Australia. He emphasised export opportunities opened up by the burgeoning markets and growing middle classes of Asia. This point was further emphasised by the Gillard government, including in its white paper Australia in the Asian Century.
Mr Rudd while conceding defeat, said, “A short time ago I telephoned Tony Abbott to concede defeat at these national elections.
As PM of Australia I wish him well now in the high office of PM of this country. Therese and I wish he, Margie and their family well in coping with the stresses and strains of high office that lie ahead. We know a little bit of what that is like.
I saw Sky News just before saying we’re all gone, including me. Anyway. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve held each of our seats in Queensland, I’m proud of the fact that every cabinet minister has been returned at this election. And I’m proud that practically all other members of our executive have been returned as well. But tonight, but tonight we have lost many fine Labor men and women from our parliament and I would like to thank them personally for their courage and their unswerving commitment to our cause, to our party and to our nation.”
Mr Abbott, joined by his wife and three daughters, in his winning speech said to the jubilant supporters, “The government of Australia has changed. For just ”“ for just the seventh time in 60 years, the government of Australia has changed. The Coalition has won 13 seats clearly, with 10 seats still in play, and I can inform you that the Australian Labor Party’s vote is at the lowest level in more than 100 years.
So tonight, so tonight, for the last time in this campaign, it is my honour to address you, the people of Australia. Mr Rudd has conceded defeat.
He has been the prime minister of this country not once, but twice, so I acknowledge his service to the people of our nation.”
Our new Prime Minister Tony Abbott while campaigning promised to visit all the neighbouring Asian countries before he goes to UK or USA as Prime Minister!
Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=2551