Labor Losing In Vote Count
Labor Losing In Vote Count – Yesterday, as the independents converged on Canberra for formal talks, counting showed the Coalition edging ahead of Labor on the two-party-preferred count.
By late last night, with more than 80 per cent counted, the Coalition was ahead by 1909 votes after the AEC removed eight seats from its two-party count on the basis that the major parties did not run first and second. By 11am AEST, that had narrowed to just over 1000 votes and in a stunning measure of the closeness of the election, the Australian Electoral Commission website had the parties locked at 50.01 per cent for the Coalition to 49.99 per cent for Labor with close to 11 million votes counted.
That lead could evaporate as counting is finalised, but it is the measurement Ms Gillard had highlighted as being the best indication of who should hold power with neither party able to form a majority of seats won.
Tony Abbott has begun preparing to capitalise on his gains with plans to give a greater share of government spending to rural and regional Australia to appeal to the three rural-based independent MPs whose support he needs to form a government.
As horse-trading to determine the nation’s next government finally began yesterday, newly elected Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie staked a late claim for recognition from the major parties, declaring poker machine reform and a new Royal Hobart Hospital were the issues he would consider when deciding which major party to support.
Labor Losing In Vote Count
Tags: Aec, Aest, Ahead, Andrew Wilkie, Australian Electoral Commission, Canberra, Closeness, Gillard, Government Spending, Horse Trading, Independent Mps, Independents, Measurement, Poker Machine, Regional Australia, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tony Abbott, Vote Count
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