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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/australia-election-scott-morrison-ruling-coalition-loss-labor-party-anthony-albanese-2698001 Australia's PM Morrison concedes election defeat, Labor to form government SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted defeat in national elections on Saturday (May 21) after a "difficult night" for his conservative government. "Tonight I have spoken to the leader of the opposition and the incoming prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and I have congratulated him on his election victory this evening," Morrison said in a televised speech in Sydney. He added that he would stand down as leader of the Liberal Party. The 54-year-old outgoing leader noted that voter support for major parties had fallen in the election. "I think about the upheaval that is taking place in our nation, and I think it is important for our nation to heal and to move forward," he said. Morrison's voice cracked with emotion as he thanked his wife Jennifer and his daughters, "the loves of my life". "I have no doubt under the strong leadership of our coalition, three years from now I am looking forward to the return of a coalition government." This ends eight years and nine months in power for Morrison's conservative coalition. He became prime minister in 2018 after several leadership changes. Albanese, speaking as he headed to his party celebrations, said he wanted to unite the country. "I think people want to come together, look for our common interest, look towards that sense of common purpose. I think people have had enough of division, what they want is to come together as a nation and I intend to lead that." Television stations earlier projected a win for Albanese's Labor Party as voters deserted the ruling conservative coalition in favour of climate-focused independents and smaller parties. But Labor may yet have to rely on support from the Green Party and a group of so-called "teal independents", who campaigned on policies of integrity, equality and tackling climate change. Partial results showed that Morrison's Liberal-National coalition was punished by voters in affluent urban seats and Western Australia in particular. Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was poised to become one of the country's highest-ranking Cabinet ministers to ever be voted out of parliament as he acknowledged it would be difficult to cling onto his seat. Frydenberg appeared on course to be defeated in his Melbourne seat by independent Monique Ryan, a pediatric neurologist running for office for the first time, according to a projected count by the Australian Electoral Commission. "I can't see the coalition getting above 60 (seats)," the Australian Broadcasting Corp's election analyst Antony Green said in a live broadcast. Forming a government requires 76 of the 151 lower house seats. "Unless the Labor Party sat on its high horse and said 'We've got to 74, that's not 76, we're not forming government', there is no alternative government in that parliament," Green added. The Sydney Morning Herald said Albanese will become the next prime minister. Sky News projected the ruling coalition "can't win majority". Final results could take some time as counting of a record number of postal votes is completed. Centre-left Labor had held a decent lead in opinion polls, although recent surveys showed the Liberal-National government narrowing the gap in the final stretch of a six-week campaign. A Newspoll survey by The Australian newspaper out on election day showed Labor's lead over the ruling coalition dipping a point to 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis, where votes for unsuccessful candidates are redistributed to the top two contenders. TURNING TEAL In at least five affluent Liberal-held seats, so-called "teal independents" looked set to win, tapping voter anger over inaction on climate change after some of the worst floods and fires to hit Australia. Three volunteers working for teal independent Monique Ryan, who was challenging Frydenberg, said they joined Ryan's campaign because they are concerned about the climate for the sake of their children and grandchildren. "For me, it's like this election actually feels hopeful," Charlotte Forwood, a working mother of three adult children, told Reuters. Early returns suggested the Greens had also made ground, looking to pick up to three seats in Queensland. Greens leader Adam Bandt, who retained his inner-city Melbourne seat, said climate was a major issue for voters. "There was an attempt from Labor and Liberal to bury it, and we were very clear about the need to tackle climate by tackling coal and gas." Morrison and Albanese earlier cast their votes in Sydney after making whistle-stop tours across marginal seats in the final two days of a campaign dominated by rising living costs, climate change and integrity. As Labor focussed on spiking inflation and sluggish wage growth, Morrison made the country's lowest unemployment in almost half a century the centrepiece of his campaign's final hours.