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| Australia election: Abbott poised for victory | Australia election: Abbott poised for victory |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Exit polls in Australia suggest Tony Abbott's Liberal-National coalition is on course for a decisive election win, as voting ended in the eastern states. | Exit polls in Australia suggest Tony Abbott's Liberal-National coalition is on course for a decisive election win, as voting ended in the eastern states. |
| One poll forecast that the opposition coalition would secure 97 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. | One poll forecast that the opposition coalition would secure 97 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. |
| The campaign has been dramatic, with Kevin Rudd replacing Julia Gillard as prime minister and Labor party leader just weeks from the polls. | The campaign has been dramatic, with Kevin Rudd replacing Julia Gillard as prime minister and Labor party leader just weeks from the polls. |
| The economy, asylum and the carbon tax have been key election issues. | The economy, asylum and the carbon tax have been key election issues. |
| Mr Rudd called the election after ousting Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June, amid dismal polling figures that showed Labor on course for a wipe-out. | Mr Rudd called the election after ousting Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June, amid dismal polling figures that showed Labor on course for a wipe-out. |
| 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. | 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. |
| A Newspoll exit poll, released just over an hour before polling closed in the east of the country, gave the coalition 53% to Labor's 47% on a two-party basis (votes for the two main parties after both primary votes and preferences are distributed). | |
| Another poll put the two-party figure at 52%-48% in the coalition's favour. | Another poll put the two-party figure at 52%-48% in the coalition's favour. |
| More than 14 million people were expected to vote in Saturday's election. Polling has now closed in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. | More than 14 million people were expected to vote in Saturday's election. Polling has now closed in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. |
| Polls close later in Western Australia because of the time zone difference. Voting is compulsory in Australia. | |
| Infighting | |
| 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. | |
| "Anything can happen today," he told reporters. "I don't believe the polls, Kevin Rudd doesn't believe the polls. I think it's still very close." | |
| Mr Rudd, a former diplomat who served as prime minister from 2007-2010 before being ousted by Julia Gillard, voted in his Brisbane seat of Griffith. | |
| "I'm very confident in people's judgement because they will assess what is best for our country's future, their community's future and their family's future," he told Channel 7 TV. | |
| But Defence Minister Stephen Smith, speaking on ABC television minutes after polls closed in the east, said the government "will be defeated tonight". | |
| The election in 2010 resulted in a hung parliament, forcing Labor to enter into alliances with independents and the Greens to form a minority government. It currently holds 71 seats in the lower house to the coalition's 72. | |
| The economy has been at the heart of campaigning. Australia's next leader will be charged with managing the transition as the mining and resources boom subsides, amid slowing demand from China and slumping commodity prices. | |
| Both parties have also announced tough asylum policies to stem the number of people reaching Australia's shores by boat, an apparent cause of anxiety in some crucial swinging electorates. | |
| The coalition, meanwhile, has highlighted bitter Labor infighting - seeking to portray itself as the more stable party. |