TONY Abbott stormed to victory as former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd relinquished the top job and the Labor leadership.
Pledging he would not let voters down, Mr Abbott vowed to govern for all Australians.
"From today I declare that
Australia is under new management and open for business," he said. "We will not leave anyone behind."
Victorians punished Labor, with many seats seeing big swings of between 6 and 8 per cent against the party.
The
Coalition last night had gained three seats - Deakin and La Trobe, in
the eastern suburbs, and Corangamite in the southwest. But, defying
predictions of a Labor wipeout, the ALP lost fewer seats than expected -
providing some solace to demoralised Labor MPs.
But the Coalition will govern in the 150-seat House of Representatives with a majority of 85 seats or more.
Labor will be reduced to a predicted 54 seats. In a shock result in
Queensland, businessman Clive Palmer was expected to secure the seat of
Fairfax and Pauline Hanson was still a chance in the Senate in NSW.
Tony Abbott celebrates victory with wife Margie and daughters Frances, Louise and Bridget. Picture: Sam Ruttyn
Mr Rudd conceded defeat just after 9.30pm in Brisbane to chants of "Kevin, Kevin".
Delighted it was not the wipeout predicted he bragged the predictions of his demise were premature.
"I will not be contesting the leadership of the Australian Labor Party," he said.
"I
have taken this decision with a heavy heart because I love this
movement. But the time has come for renewal. I gave it my all. But it
was not enough for us to win. Despite all the prophets of doom we have
preserved a viable fighting force for the future."
Former frontbenchers Stephen Smith and Greg Combet urged Mr Rudd to quit politics sparking a by-election.
The
Galaxy poll published in News Corp newspapers on Friday provided the
most reliable guide to the election outcome of all published polls,
predicting a 53-47 two-party-preferred result.
Last night the result was 52.7 for the Coalition and 47.3 per cent
for Labor. Defying predictions he would lose his seat of Griffith, Mr
Rudd bragged in a 20-minute speech it would be un-prime ministerial to
say "eat your heart out" to his political opponent.
His bragging was attacked as "cheap" by former treasurer Peter Costello.
The new PM pledged a new era of "no surprises, no excuses".
But
Mr Abbott warned Labor and the Greens not to act in defiance of the
clear mandate Australian voters had handed him to scrap the carbon tax
and stop the boats.
His warning could set the scene for another early election if the Senate attempts to block his agenda.
Predictions
of a total wipeout across Western Sydney for Labor were averted, with
outgoing Treasurer Chris Bowen grimly hanging on in McMahon.
Just before 7pm Anthony Albanese conceded Mr Rudd's political career might be over.
"We will wait and see if Kevin Rudd continues in that position after tonight," he told Channel 9.
Amid the gloom NSW Labor MPs described the results as not as bad as they expected.
Labor
party polling had declared both McMahon and former Labor leader Gough
Whitlam's seat of Werriwa gone just a fortnight ago but a major blitz to
lift the informal vote had helped reverse the trend.
Mr Abbott
needed 76 seats to win government but is likely to secure more than 90
seats in the 150-strong House of Representatives.
Ex-defence
minister Stephen Smith said shortly after 6pm "This is a night where
regrettably we will see the end of a Labor government and the need for
Labor to start again with its next generation.
"The government
will be defeated tonight - that's the reality. In the end it was the
politics of division that crippled the incumbents."
Former PM Bob
Hawke said it was a sad night for Labor with infighting and division to
blame. "I really believe this is an election lost by the government
rather than won by Tony Abbott."
news.com.au 8 Sep 2013
Another fraudulently elected Prime Minister, something that the masses are NOT aware of and the corporate media reluctant to report.
The subtle message from the new PM is that:
"Australia is under new management and open for business,"
Australia is factually a registered corporation, of the United States of America (Inc).
The Australian people (the herd populous) are the ones dearly paying for it.
The 'deficit' brought around the the previous government has to be payed for by the public through higher taxes.
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