Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government lost the election on Saturday. Opposition Labor party would have won the most votes, report Australian media and international news agencies. Labor leader Anthony Albanese looks set to become Australia’s new prime minister.
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Morrison has since acknowledged his defeat and announced his resignation as leader of the conservative Liberals. He has been Prime Minister since 2018. His party is in the first results at 52 seats, where 76 are needed for a majority. The Labor party has won 69 seats after counting just over half of the votes.
Australians were allowed to vote for a new federal government on Saturday. It was mainly a race between the ruling coalition of the conservative Liberals and the peasant Nationals party and the Labor party on the other side. The latter party has promised more financial support and a stronger social safety net. Labor also wants to raise minimum wages.
In an initial response, Albanian said he wants to “unite” Australia. “I think people have had enough of division, what they want is to come together as a nation and I intend to lead it.”