Anthony Albanese will be the next Prime Minister
The Labor Party leads the polls, but the Coalition is determined to pull off another 'miracle' victory.
The Labor Party leads the polls, but the Coalition is determined to pull off another 'miracle' victory.
Happy election day!
The bite-sized big news:
- Anthony Albanese will be the next prime minister of Australia
- The Liberal-National Coalition has been defeated by a cocktail of Labor and Independent candidates
- The only question that remains is whether Labor will form a majority or minority government. Labor has claimed 72 seats, needing 76 to secure a majority
- The Greens have picked up surprising seats, with a surge of support in Brisbane
Anthony Albanese has begun his first speech to the nation as Australia's 31st prime minister-elect by promising to establish a First Nations voice to Parliament, enshrined in the constitution.
After walking onto the stage with his partner Jodie Haydon at the Hurlstone Park RSL to the Australian classic GANGgajang's Sounds Of Then, the Labor leader was greeted by cheers of "Albo, Albo, Albo".
"On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full," Mr Albanese told the crowd.
"I want Australia to continue to be a country that no matter where you live, who you worship, who you love or what your last name is, that places no restrictions on your journey in life," Mr Albanese said.
He said a government he leads would work to ensure no-one was left behind.
"Because we should always look after the disadvantaged and the vulnerable. But also no-one held back, because we should always support aspiration and opportunity."
Scott Morrison has quit as leader of the Liberal party after calling Anthony Albanese to concede and congratulate the new PM.
Interestingly, his wife, Jenny Morrison, arrived at the Liberal Party event wearing a dress by the late Australian fashion designer Carla Zampatti - the mother of incoming, independent Wentworth MP, Allegra Spender. The dress is called the "Celebration Cold Shoulder Dress" in "sky blue", which is on sale for $929. The shade is a similar one Ms Spender - one of the most high profile "teal" Climate 200 candidates - wore on Saturday when she cast her vote in Sydney's plush eastern suburbs.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg - the architect of Jobkeeper, the deputy Liberal leader - may lose his seat of Kooyong. He is expected to lose the seat in the Liberal heartland electorate of inner Melbourne to independent Monique Ryan, a paediatric neurologist. Frydenberg said the too close to call result so far, as "thousands" of prepoll and postal votes are to be counted, was a "wake up call".
“I'm ready to serve”, Anthony Albanese told a group of reporters waiting outside his house in Marrickville. Australia’s newest prime minister will now drive to Labor HQ in Canterbury to address his supporters and the country.
Over on our Instagram, @theoz.com.au, Jenna Clarke is anchoring our live election coverage and will cross to Olivia Caisley at Liberal HQ, and Ellie Dudley at Labor HQ.
What's happening at Labor HQ:
Labor supporters chanted “Albo! Albo!” repeatedly when analysts announced the party had won the election. A sea of red formed in the centre of the room as volunteers swarmed to form a mosh pit.
“Labor! Labor!” they chanted, as they jumped up and down.The question still remains as to whether Labor can form a majority government.They need 76 seats to do so.
What's happening at Liberal HQ:
Scott Morrison says it's a difficult night for Liberals and Nationals around the country, calling it a humbling experience.
He confirms he has called Anthony Albanese to congratulate him on his election victory."It's a difficult job for Liberals and Nationals around the country as nights like this always are. They are humbling but so is victory. Victory is always humbling and always should be," he says. "Tonight, I have spoken to the Leader of the Opposition and the incoming Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese."
Mr Morrison said in the face of loss, it was “proper to acknowledge the functioning of our democracy”.
“I’ve always believed in Australians and their judgement, and I’ve always been prepared to accept their verdicts. And tonight they have delivered their verdict.
“I congratulate Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party and I wish him and his government all the very best.”
The leaders voted
Anthony Albanese arrived to vote in his electorate of Grayndler, in Sydney's inner west this morning, alongside his partner Jodie Haydon and their crusty white dog, Toto.
In a last-minute pitch to win voters, the Labor leader vowed to change the way politics operated in Australia, claiming Coalition had little to show after nearly a decade in power.
“My big concern with this government is: what is there to be proud of?” Albanese said.
“This sort of nonsense that we've seen … playing wedge politics against vulnerable people that Scott Morrison has been prepared to do during this campaign.
“We're a better country than that. I want to change politics. Be very clear. I want to change politics. I want to change the way it operates. I want parliament to function properly. I want our democracy to function properly. That's why I'm in this, not to change where I live, I'm in it to change the country.
“And that's what I intend to do.”
Scott Morrison was greeted by cheers as he cast his vote in his seat of Cook. School children chanted "ScoMo! ScoMo!" while the PM received hugs from his children and friends.
"There's nothing like coming home here to the Shire where Jenny and I have made our home," he said.
Suspected asylum-seeker vessel off Christmas Island
Morrison confirmed a suspected asylum-seeker vessel was intercepted by border force on its way to Australia this morning.
“I can confirm that there’s been an interception of a vessel en route to Australia. That vessel has been intercepted in accordance with the policies of government and they’re following these normal protocols,” Morrison said.
Asked why he was moving to discuss on-water matters on the day of an election, when these matters would ordinarily remain top secret, Mr Morrison said it was in the spirit of full transparency.
The boat got "very close" to the west coast of Christmas Island, The Weekend Australian has revealed.
What's happening at the polling booths?
It's same old, same old at polling booths scattered across Australia's public school halls, churches and local community centres.
Some Australians are honouring the age old tradition of rocking up to vote in budgie smugglers. Even if they are kilometres away from the nearest beach.
Good to see the important ritual of wearing budgie smugglers to vote honoured even in urban Surry Hills, 6km from the beach! #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/sW5S66dcOD
— Parnell Palme McGuinness 🦇 (@parnellpalme) May 21, 2022
Others, like those in the salubrious electorate of Wentworth in Sydney's east, are bidding big money on cake stalls.
Hello Wentworth ! Big money cake stall in double bay @patrickkeneally pic.twitter.com/kTJAhlsIS3
— Brigid Delaney (@BrigidWD) May 21, 2022
Meanwhile, some are just excited to be included in the #DemocracySausage tradition.
I know it’s dumb but honestly being able to have a halal sausage finally made me so happy and weirdly like my vote and place really counts 😅 #inclusion #AusVotes2022 https://t.co/reP2iu2XYZ
— Rana Hussain (@ranahuss) May 21, 2022
A Morrison impersonator dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and playing a ukulele crashed a Nowra polling booth on the NSW south coast, telling a crowd of voters "How good's Honolulu!"
A brief history of the democracy sausage:
We can track the introduction of food and drink to polling booths back to the 1930s, when a number of women saw the election as an opportunity to fundraise. By the 1980s, once the portable gas BBQ had been invented, saw classic sausage sizzles become a part of community gatherings. And of course, polling days.
During the 2010 federal election some Brisbane snag-hunters set up a website for groups to register their election-day sausage offerings, to assist voters in locating them.
The group, SnagVotes, says their initiative enables Australians to “Get together with your community and enjoy a sausage on election day – a great Australian tradition”.
The earliest recordings of the term "democracy sausage" were on Twitter in 2010. "Voted too early for a democracy sausage. Bought homemade cake and jam instead," a tweet recorded by the Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) read.
But by 2016, the term's fate was solidified when the ANDC named it their word of the year.
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