Federal Election 2016 day one coverage: Election too close to call as voters walk away from Malcolm Turnbull

Mr Turnbull: "Well, the election is over. Only the counting remains. And now is the time to unite in Australia's aid, in Australia's service to ensure that we can have truly the very best years for our country ahead of us."

And that's it for Mr Turnbull.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy.Credit: Andrew Meares

And that's it from me, Andrew Meares, Alex Ellinghausen and the many other reporters and photographers who filed to me throughout the evening.

What happened?

• Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed victory after a tense and long night;
• Mr Turnbull says he will be able to form a majority Coalition government even if the results are not known for a few days;
• But the recriminations within the Liberal Party have begun;
• Labor leader Bill Shorten gave a triumphant speech and said the result showed how far Labor had come in three years;
• and in the Senate independents Nick Xenophon, Derryn Hinch, Pauline Hanson and Jacqui Lambie are the winners.

I will be back with you in the morning. In the meantime you can follow me on Facebook.

Thanks so much for your company this evening - it's been fun! See you in a few hours.

• Day Two Live coverage of Election 2016 is here

Mr Turnbull says the counting might take some time: "In the meantime, I want to say to all Australians those that voted for us, those that voted for other parties or candidates, this is a time when we must come together. We must stick together."

Mr Turnbull: "I am confident that we will be able to form a majority government."

Mr Turnbull: "I want to also address a matter that I know has been raised earlier today or this evening about the calling of the double-dissolution election. Let me remind everybody of why that occurred. That was not a political tactic. It was not designed to
remove senators or get a new Senate because new senators are better than old senators or whatever. It was simply this. We need to restore the rule of law to the construction industry."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.Credit: Getty Images

"Labor with the second lowest primary vote in its history, but Labor would say that the answer is more debt, more deficit and higher taxes. Seriously. Seriously," Mr Turnbull says.

"So, my friends, I'm sure that as the results are refined and come in over the next few days with all of the counting, we will be able to form that majority government. But, let me say this without any fear of contradiction. The Labor Party has no capacity in this parliament to form a stable majority government. That is a fact."

"The circumstances of Australia cannot be changed by a lying campaign from the Labor Party," Mr Turnbull says.

"No politician can give a speech, can write a policy, can send a message and change the reality of the circumstances in which we live and the policies that will enable us to meet those times with success."

"The Labor Party ran some of the most systematic, well-funded lies ever peddled in Australia," he says.

"The mass ranks of the union movement and all of their millions of dollars, telling vulnerable Australians that Medicare was going to be privatised or sold (sic)," he says.

"There were text messages being sent to thousands of people across Australia saying that Medicare was about to be privatised by the Liberal Party.... It said it came from Medicare. An extraordinary act of dishonesty. No doubt the police will investigate."

Mr Turnbull says he will be able to form a majority Coalition government.

The count will continue until 2am but then there will be no counting until Tuesday (he does not say why).

"We will have to wait a few day," Mr Turnbull says.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.Credit: Andrew Meares

Mr Turnbull has arrived in the ballroom of the Sofitel.