{{Tony Abbott’s Liberal-National coalition appears on course for a decisive election win, as voting ended in Australia’s eastern states.}}<\/p>\n
Early counting showed a swing to the opposition coalition in several states, with exit polls forecasting it would secure a lower house majority.<\/p>\n
Public broadcaster ABC’s analyst has called the election for the coalition.<\/p>\n
The campaign has been dramatic, with Kevin Rudd ousting Julia Gillard as PM and Labor leader weeks from the polls.<\/p>\n
The economy, asylum and the carbon tax have been key election issues.<\/p>\n
Mr Rudd called the election after defeating Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June, amid dismal polling figures that showed Labor on course for a wipe-out.<\/p>\n
Under Mr Rudd, Labor initially saw its figures improve significantly. But Mr Abbott, who enjoyed the strident support of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers, then broadened the gap again.<\/p>\n
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s election expert, Antony Green, says the coalition is on course for a majority and will defeat the government.<\/p>\n
A Newspoll exit poll, released just over an hour before polling closed in the east of the country, predicted that the coalition would secure 97 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. ABC News, in its first prediction, put that figure at 93.<\/p>\n
Labor’s Defence Minister Stephen Smith, speaking on ABC television minutes after polls closed in the east, said the government “will be defeated tonight”.<\/p>\n
Mr Abbott, who took on the leadership of the coalition in 2009, cast his ballot in his northern Sydney seat of Warringah early on Saturday.<\/p>\n
ABC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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