Vote count done, coalition in box seat

Voters have put the major parties on notice with almost one quarter of MPs holding marginal seats after the AEC finalised its vote count for lower house seats.

Scott Morrison

Prime Minister Scott Morrison can appoint a coalition MP as House speaker and still hold a majority. (AAP)

Voters have put the major parties on notice, with almost one in four MPs holding marginal seats in the 46th parliament.

The Australian Electoral Commission has finalised its counting following the May 18 federal election, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison holding 77 seats in the lower house.

Labor will have 68 seats, down one on its previous position, while there will be six MPs on the crossbench - one Green, one Centre Alliance, Queensland's Bob Katter and three independents.

Thirty-six seats out of 151 are now considered to be marginal, held by under five per cent.

Nationwide, Labor received 33.34 per cent of the primary vote - a 1.4 per cent swing against the opposition party - while the coalition received 41.4 per cent.

In all, only nine seats changed hands at the election.

Bass and Braddon in Tasmania and Lindsay in NSW were lost by Labor to the Liberals.

Corangamite and Dunkley in Victoria and Gilmore in NSW changed hands from the Liberals to Labor.

The Queensland seats of Herbert and Longman were lost by Labor to the Liberal National Party.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott's Sydney seat of Warringah fell to independent Zali Steggall.

Mr Morrison will have enough MPs in the new parliament to appoint a Speaker and still have a majority on the floor of the lower house.

Vote counting continues in the Senate election, but could conclude next week.

The new Senate is likely to comprise 35 coalition members, 26 Labor, nine Greens, two One Nation, two Centre Alliance, one Australian Conservatives and Senator Jacqui Lambie.

The 46th parliament is set to open on July 2.


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Published 15 June 2019 3:34am
Source: AAP


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