Landslide state election loss rattles Australia's minority government

By Alison Bevege

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Labor government in the Australian state of Victoria won an unexpectedly large majority in an election that analysts say is a warning to the country's ruling conservative government ahead of national polls due in six months.

 

Victoria is Australia's second most populous state, and the poll is seen as a barometer of voter sentiment towards the nation's conservative Liberal and National government.

 

The governing coalition has been a minority government since October when they lost their one-seat majority after former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, ousted by conservatives in a party-room coup, resigned.

 

In Victoria, the incumbent Labor government campaigned on big infrastructure projects including rail, roads and schools, while the opposition Liberal Party focussed on crime, and law and order.

 

Labor, which went into the election with a one-seat majority in the 88-seat Victorian legislative assembly, is expected to take up to 55 seats once counting is finished, based on figures from the Victorian Electoral Commission.

 

With just over half the votes counted in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Victorian Electoral Commission website showed Labor leading their Liberal rivals by 42.8 percent to 30.4 percent.

 

By Saturday night the tally was decisive enough for Labor Premier Daniel Andrews to declare victory, although official results will not be announced until all votes are counted.

 

Andrews said on Sunday morning that his victory was a result of delivering on commitments.

 

"Victorians would look at the results and be, well, from our point of view, be very pleasantly surprised at the magnitude," Andrews said on ABC TV’s "Insiders."

 

University of Sydney emeritus politics professor Rodney Tiffen said the loss would be a warning to the national Liberal party, and said it could exacerbate the ideological split in the Liberal party over social issues and addressing climate change.

 

"I would think it's a very bad omen for the Liberals federally," he told Reuters by telephone. "It continues a sense that they're on a losing streak."

 

Australia's most populous state of New South Wales holds an election on March 23 next year, and a Federal election is due by mid-May.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-25

Victoria, Australia's most "progressive" State will undoubtedly go further socialist. With the current federal government being so inept, Labor will easily win the next federal election. Back to big spending big government.

Libs and Nationals would have to be feeling utterly gutted, one can only hope that feeling stays with them and if anything intensifies on their journey to deserved Federal oblivion.

Well DR G. I suspect you are one of those right inclined people who are against progress and socialism. Right wing catch phrases. As Bill Maher said on one of his shows, if you are anti socialism, do you bring your own highway when you drive? He was pithier than I. Essentially I think that there aren't any liberals in the liberal party; there aren't any workers in the labor party. Pity.

 

are satisfied when nothing is done when they are car jacked, burgled, assaulted or raped , you get what you vote for so do not whinge.

3 hours ago, John1012 said:

 

are satisfied when nothing is done when they are car jacked, burgled, assaulted or raped , you get what you vote for so do not whinge.

Election results show that the Victorian public are repulsed by these lines which have been spouted by the Christian taliban wing of the liberal party. 

 

So much so, their blue ribbon heartland has turned against them. 

 

Victorians celebrated the victory by all going out to dinner and not getting carjacked as was the myth your ilk was trying to spread. Save it for the brain dead Queensland voters who buy this stuff. 

On 11/25/2018 at 2:00 PM, BoganInParasite said:

Libs and Nationals would have to be feeling utterly gutted, one can only hope that feeling stays with them and if anything intensifies on their journey to deserved Federal oblivion.

Only Federal Oblvion for 3 years after the next election, then when debt increases, promises broken, unemployment rises and the recession hits people will remember Labor of 2007-13

On 11/26/2018 at 12:17 AM, samran said:

Election results show that the Victorian public are repulsed by these lines which have been spouted by the Christian taliban wing of the liberal party. 

 

So much so, their blue ribbon heartland has turned against them. 

 

Victorians celebrated the victory by all going out to dinner and not getting carjacked as was the myth your ilk was trying to spread. Save it for the brain dead Queensland voters who buy this stuff. 

Ha ha ha, WRONG, it was solet Federal Issues that affected this election, locals innVictoria know we have a serious problem from African gangs particularly Sudanese. 

 

 

Mouse Vs. Snake

 

mouse lost