PM Malcolm Turnbull takes to phones to ensure he holds on to government

HE may have been all smiles this morning but embattled caretaker Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is scrambling to lock in the support of crossbench independents.

• ALP’s Husar happy and humble to be the victor in Lindsay
• Malcolm Turnbull takes to phones to ensure he holds on to government
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• Labor puts knives away with Shorten’s job safe
• Queensland Labor behind fake Medicare texts

EMBATTLED caretaker Prime Minsiter Malcolm Turnbull is scrambling to lock in the support of crossbench independents, with fears that he is now likely to be forced into forming a minority Coalition government.

With an estimated three million votes yet to be counted, a result is unlikely before Wednesday — and possibly not until the end of the week — with the outcome now hanging on between eight and 12 undecided seats.

Senior Coalition MPs yesterday conceded that the second hung parliament in six years was firming as a real possibility.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves his home in Sydney on Monday.

This morning Mr Turnbull, dressed casually as he left his Point Piper home with his son, smiled to the waiting media pack.

Asked how he was feeling and whether he remained confident in his leadership, the prime minister replied only: “The counting continues.”.

Mr Turnbull’s auhtority, however, is crippled meaning he would be unable to fulfil the Coalition’s budget agenda — including company and personal income tax cuts — in the face of a potentially more hostile Senate with up to 10 independents.

Mr Turnbull yesterday was still clinging to the hope of securing a wafer thin majority government of 76 seats, claiming to be “quietly confident” in the face of near defeat.

But he confirmed that he had hit the phone to the four independent MPs in the event that he would need support of at least some of them to form government.

A casual looking Prime Minister on Monday morning.

But Labor leader Bill Shorten also yesterday wasn’t ruling out the prospect of a minority Labor government, which would require the support of the Greens and most likely all the independents.

With Mr Turnbull’s political gamble on a double dissolution election now labelled a “disaster”, the trigger bill to restore the construction industry watchdog is all but dead with the Coalition unable to command a majority in a joint sitting of Parliament even if it wins the election.

The Coalition ranks were still in shock yesterday with the prospect of losing up to 15 MPs, including in the western Sydney seat of Lindsay which Mr Turnbull declared as the bellwether seat and where Fiona Scott has now been turfed out after just one term.

The Coalition is blaming Labor’s discredited Medicare scare campaign for a late swing against the government.

But the internal blame game has already begun inside the Liberal Party with some MPs furious that Mr Turnbull appeared to stop campaigning in the past week on the basis of “dodgy” internal research from Liberal pollsters that they had the election won with a net loss of only six seats.

Yesterday, two of the key independents re-elected to the lower house, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, said they would refuse deals with both major parties.

Malcolm Turnbull contemplates his leadership of the Liberal party on his Point Piper waterfront mansion balcony yesterday. Picture: Craig Greenhill

To form government Mr Turnbull would need to rely on the support of renegade Queensland MP Bob Katter and possibly newcomer Rebecca Sharkie from the Nick Xenophon Team, which has said it would support the party with the most seats.

The make up of the new Senate was equally unclear but would include up to 10 independent or micro-parties including right wing firebrand Pauline Hansen and broadcaster Derryn Hinch.

The seats that will eventually determine who forms government include Victorian seats of Dunkley and Chisholm, Gilmore in NSW, Hindmarsh and Gray in South Australia, and Petrie, Forde, Herbert and Capricornia in Queensland.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull yesterday was still clinging to the hope of securing a wafer thin majority government of 76 seats, claiming to be “quietly confident” in the face of near defeat. Picture: Chris Pavlich

The Coalition is expecting that the 1.5 million postal votes yet to be counted will favour the Liberal Party, getting it over the line in seats that are still regarded as in doubt.

Labor and Coalition insiders both agreed that a majority Labor government was unlikely but every other scenario was possible — including going back to the polls in another election.

Upbeat Labor leader Bill Shorten said his party’s policy agenda had been vindicated but dismissed talk of a threat to his leadership. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Turnbull said the Australian people had spoken and vowed to maintain stability in government.

“I remain quietly confident that a majority coalition government will be returned,” he said.

“I have certainly spoken to many of the crossbenchers today.”

Mr Turnbull, who will remain as PM in caretaker mode until the final outcome is determined, moved to allay concerns of a country and parliament in paralysis.

“We are completing a count that will take a few more days … in the meantime the government is in operation,” he said

Mr Shorten yesterday said Labor’s policy agenda had been vindicated but dismissed talk that his leadership was already under threat.

“I’ve never been more confident in my leadership than I am this morning,” he said.

“The Labor Party is united. You can look everywhere you want, you can try to hope that the Labor Party sort of veers off course but you’re going to be disappointed.”