Federal election 2019: Coalition returned as ALP agenda rejected

Scott Morrison heralded a miraculous win last night after a back-from-the-dead Coalition stole Labor’s unlosable election as voters rejected Bill Shorten’s big-taxing, high-spending class warfare.

SCOTT Morrison heralded a miraculous win last night after a back-from-the-dead Coalition stole Labor’s unlosable election as voters repudiated Bill Shorten’s big-taxing, high-spending class warfare.

The Coalition won its third term off the back of a historic Queensland win and a tsunami of older Australians punishing Labor for coming after their retirement savings.

Federal Election 2019: The Queensland results that could determine election outcome

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Mr Shorten conceded to Mr Morrison after 11pm before publicly resigning from the Labor leadership.

Bitter recriminations are expected to dog the Labor Party as it tries to find a new generation of leadership. Popular figure Anthony Albanese last night indicated he would contest the leadership.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with wife Jenny and children Abbey (obscured) and Lily (left) after winning the 2019 Federal Election. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

The Coalition suffered significant swings against it in Victoria, and in NSW, former prime minister Tony Abbott was decisively booted out of his seat of 25 years, Warringah, by independent Zali Steggall. Several seats were too close to call last night.

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The Coalition won with more than 40 per cent of the primary vote while Labor’s had plummeted to its 20s.

Mr Morrison, who ran a presidential-type campaign, always believed he would win.

“I have always believed in miracles. And tonight we’ve been delivered another one.”

He paid tribute to “the whole state of Queensland”.

“How good’s Queensland?” he asked Coalition faithfuls in NSW.

Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten concedes defeat. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

Against the odds, the LNP in Queensland held all its 21 seats and picked up the Labor held electorates of Longman and Herbert. The LNP now holds a record number of seats.

The issue of Adani undoubtedly secured several seats in Queensland, giving the mine new, political potency at the ballot box.

Peter Dutton retained the seat of Dickson, north of Brisbane. Picture: Glenn Hunt/AAP

There were a patchwork of results across the country, made further unpredictable by high votes in some seats for One Nation and Clive Palmer.

Mr Shorten, with wife Chloe, had been confident of forming government. Picture: Kym Smith

The Coalition’s other big hitters under threat, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Health Minister Greg Hunt, also retained their seats.

Mr Shorten conceded to Mr Morrison after 11pm before publicly resigning from the leadership.

He vowed to stay on Parliament, paying tribute to his deputy leader Tanya Plibersek and Chris Bowen, the architect of Labor’s controversial negative gearing and franking credits policies.

Originally published as Federal election 2019: Coalition returned as ALP agenda rejected