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Australians may today finally know what their government will look like and if Anthony Albanese has secured a majority.
Three seats that remain in doubt after the election just over a week ago will likely be called, according to respected ABC election analyst Anthony Green.
‘Staff will be processing declaration envelopes to be ready for a big count on Monday,’ he tweeted on Sunday.
‘That should clarify the final result – unless the three seats remain ultra-close.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives with his partner Jodie Haydon for a street walk with the member-elect for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale in Eastwood, Sydney on Saturday, May 28, 2022
Labor needs 76 seats to gain a majority in the lower house of federal parliament, with the party sitting on 75, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
‘Having a majority Labor government I think is important in terms of sending a message, but I’m very clear as well that I want to treat the parliament with respect,’ Mr Albanese told Sky News.
Three House of Representatives seats are still to be decided – Deakin and Macnamara in Victoria, Lyons in Tasmania, and Gilmore in NSW.
Liberal MP Michael Sukkar is 655 votes ahead of Labor’s candidate Matt Gregg in Deakin, which recorded a swing to Labor of roughly four per cent.
In NSW, sitting Labor MP Fiona Phillips is 214 votes behind Liberal candidate and former state minister Andrew Constance in Gilmore, with postal votes slightly favouring Mr Constance.
The Victorian seat of Macnamara is complicated by it not yet being certain which two candidates will face off in the final count of preferences.
Labor MP Josh Burns has taken a slight lead over his Greens rival Steph Hodgins-May with Liberal candidate Colleen Harkin trailing.
If it remains that way, then Ms Harkin’s preferences will get either Mr Burns, who is the incumbent, or Ms Hodgins-May over the line.
If Mr Burns wins, Labor will have its 76th seat and majority government, but if Ms Hodgins-May wins, Labor will probably be consigned to minority government.
Peter Dutton (left) is pictured with his wife Kirilly. Mr Dutton is expected to become the next leader of the Liberal Party
Even with Labor’s final count in Parliament House uncertain, the party will hold a caucus meeting on Tuesday where factions can sort out their preferences for the new ministry, which will be sworn in on Wednesday.
Mr Albanese repeated his election promise to welcome a wage increase of about $1 per hour or 5.1 per cent on the national minimum wage of $20.33.
‘I believe it is appropriate the government put forward a submission according to our values and I believe they are values Australians hold as well,’ he said.
Mr Albanese also called for greater cooperation between businesses and union.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to see greater cooperation between businesses and unions. Pictured is a young female maintenance engineer, testing voltage with a digital multimeter
‘I’ve said that business and unions have common interest. Business can’t succeed without workers and a collaborative relationship through workers’ representative through the trade union movement,’ he said.
‘If you don’t have successful businesses, you don’t have union members. We’ve got to recognise that the way to increase both profits and wages without putting upwards pressure on inflation is of course productivity.’
If Labor needs crossbench votes to pass legislation, Mr Albanese is confident he can get it.
‘I had a constructive relationship with Rebekha Sharkie, Andrew Wilkie and Bob Katter, the whole of the crossbench, over a period of time,’ he said.
Anthony Albanese said he has had a ‘constructive relationship’ with Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie (pictured at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, October 18, 2021)
‘I’ve had constructive discussions with (Greens leader) Adam Bandt. We’ll talk to people across the parliament. ‘I’m confident that we’ll give Australia a good government that provides the changes necessary and brings people with us.’
Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley are on Monday expected to be endorsed as the new leadership of the Liberal Party.
The Nationals will also meet to vote on a leader with both David Littleproud and Darren Chester set to contest against former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.
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