September 08, 03:52 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 More than 14 million Australians went to the polls yesterday in Australia's general elections. The ruling party was the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the opposition was the Liberal-National Coalition (Coalition). All citizens over 18 must vote by law. Below is a summary of the Australian Election.
1. Australia's 28th PM: Tony Abbott is elected as Australia’s 28th prime minister. He is the leader of Liberal National party Coalition since 2009.
2. In his victory speech, Abbott declared that “Australia is under new management and Australia is once again open for business.”. He added that he will lead a government will lead a government of "no surprises and no excuses".
Source: Tony Abbott Facebook
3. Australia's 26th PM Kevin Rudd has conceded defeat and quit as the leader of the ALP.
4. In his concession speech, Rudd said that he "accept responsibility" as Labour's leader. Rudd said that he wished Abbott "well in the high office of Prime Minister of this country".
Source: Kevin Rudd Facebook
5. Results: Coalition won 91 seats, while ALP won 54 seats. The Greens and Independent won 1 and 2 seats respectively, with 3 seats still to be decided. A party needs to win 76 seats out of the 150-seat House of Representatives to form the government.
6. Vote Share: ALP 33.9% vs Coalition 36.3% [Liberal Party 31.7% + The Nationals 4.6%]. The ALP's vote is at the lowest level in more than 100 years.
7. Change of Government: The government of Australia has changed for just the seventh time in 60 years.
8. Former PM Julia Gillard: Julia Gillard, whom Kevin Rudd ousted as PM this June, paid tribute to Rudd for a "spirited fight" in the Australian election. She was silent throughout Labor's failed re-election campaign.
Source: Julia Gillard Twitter
9. Singapore's Congratulations: PM Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Abbott on his victory in a letter, saying that his "resounding electoral success reflects the confidence that Australians have in your leadership and vision for Australia". PM Lee also extended an invite to Abbott to make an official visit to Singapore.
If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.