Federal election 2016: Australia faces uncertain few days as voting continues

MALCOLM Turnbull last night emerged pledging he can form a majority government, blaming Labor Party “lies’’ on Medicare for the shock cliffhanger result.

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MALCOLM Turnbull last night emerged pledging he can form a majority government, blaming Labor Party “lies’’ on Medicare for the shock cliffhanger result.

After the longest election campaign in modern history, the Prime Minister did not emerge to claim an expected victory until 12.25am.

When he did, he called for a police investigation into political dirty tricks but insisted he could form a majority government.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull kisses wife Lucy with daughter Daisy and son Alex nearby at the Liberal Party election night event.

“We have every confidence we can form a Coalition majority government in the next Parliament,’’ Mr Turnbull said.

“It is a very close count as you know. The Labor Party has no ­capacity to form a majority government.

“That is a fact.’’

Last night the Coalition had ­secured 74 seats and needs 76 seats to govern, a target Liberal Party chiefs hope to secure in coming days when pre-polls are counted.

The Prime Minister launched a furious attack over text messages to voters about Medicare, suggesting the dirty tricks may prove criminal.

“The Labor Party ran some of the most systematic, well-funded lies ever peddled in Australian politics,” he said. “No doubt the police will ­investigate.”

Earlier, Mr Turnbull had spent hours holed up in his Point Piper mansion, emerging only to find himself stranded because his Commonwealth car had not arrived.

Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy, his family and close advisers including Liberal Party chief Tony Nutt, pollster Mark Textor and advisers Tony Parkinson, Brad Burke and Sally Cray had spent hours nervously watching the results come in.

Bill Shorten with his wife Chloe and children Rupert, Georgette and Cousin Alexandra (left), at the 2016 Australian Labor Party Election Night event at Moonee Valley Racing Club, near Melbourne.

Labor leader Bill Shorten last night said the result may not be known for days but the party could be proud of the result despite recording a primary vote of just 34 per cent.

“The Labor Party is back,’’ Mr Shorten said.

But Treasurer Scott Morrison remained confident the Coalition could get over the line.

“We are on the cusp of forming a majority government,’’ he said.

“We always knew this election was going to be very tight.”

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If Mr Turnbull can form government in the days ahead, the Prime Minister faces a party room revolt over superannuation, with former Senate leader Eric Abetz warning MPs would overturn the retrospective changes to super nest eggs proposed by Treasurer Scott Morrison. Last night, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce flatly rejected calls for Mr Turnbull to resign.

“I disagree with that. I don’t think the Australian people want the ­revolving door of prime ministers. I’ve spoken to Malcolm a few times tonight,’’ Mr Joyce said.

The failure of the Labor Party to secure seats in Victoria despite swings across Australia was one of the small silver linings in a nailbiting night for the Prime Minister.

ALP officials feared the party was set to go backwards and lose the Labor-held seat of Chisholm, a hotspot for anger over the Andrews state government’s war with the United Firefighters Union.

Last night the Liberal-held seat of La Trobe and the ALP seats of Chisholm and Batman were still in play.

As Labor leader Bill Shorten ­declared he was “ready to serve”, gains in Western Sydney and Tasmania were keeping the ALP’s hopes alive.

The results came as former prime minister Tony Abbott appeared to take a veiled swipe at Mr Turnbull during an interview with broadcaster Alan Jones.

Asked what it felt like to be an “anonymous figure”, Mr Abbott said: “It’s not about me.

“Egomaniacs normally get found out very quickly in this business and that’s as it should be,” he said.

The rise and rise of Nick Xenophon was the big story in South Australia, with the Labor Party concerned it could put frontbencher Kate Ellis’s seat of Adelaide at risk and force her to preferences which could see the Liberal Party snatch the seat.

At midnight, those fears seemed unfounded, with Ms Ellis looking ­secure.

The Xenophon team’s biggest win was in the Adelaide seat of Mayo, where Liberal Jamie Briggs conceded defeat to Rebekha Sharkie.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull greets followers at the Sofitel Wentworth. Picture: Jason Edwards

The ALP’s polling had predicted a national swing of up to 4 per cent, but not in the marginal seats it needed to form government or deliver a hung parliament. But in early counting it was too close to call, with support for independents delivering surprise ­results.

A Galaxy Research exit poll of 25 marginals seats predicted the election was too close to call. Last night, the ALP claimed the bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro in NSW, which traditionally goes the way of the government.

Earlier, Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson was calling it for the Turnbull government — before changing his mind. “Bill’s not going to be prime minister tonight. Labor cannot win. He can never get rid of the baggage of Gillard and Rudd,’’ Mr Richardson said.

But former Labor leader Mark Latham predicted the election would go down to the wire, with Mr Shorten likely to fare far better than many experts had expected.