Prime minister-elect Tony Abbott has claimed victory for the Coalition, declaring “Australia is under new management” and promising to lead a unifying government that would not “leave anyone behind”.
Mr Abbott has led the Coalition to a strong victory, winning a swathe of seats from Labor in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.
“I am both proud and humbled as I shoulder the duties of government. The time for campaigning has passed, the time for governing has arrived. I pledge myself to the service of our country,” he told a triumphant crowd of Liberal Party faithful in Sydney.
“I now look forward to forming a government that is competent, that is trustworthy, and which purposefully and steadfastly and methodically sets about delivering on our commitments to you, the Australian people.
“In three years’ time, the carbon tax will be gone, the boats will be stopped, the budget will be on track for a believable surplus and the roads of the 21st century will finally be well underway.
“And from today, I declare that Australia is under new management and that Australia is once more open for business.”
He noted that “hundreds of thousands” of people had voted for the Coalition for the first time in this election and told them his government “will not let you down”.
“A good government is one that governs for all Australians – including those who haven’t voted for it,” he said.
“A good government is one with a duty to help everyone to maximise his or her potential, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and our forgotten families, as well as those who Menzies described as lifters, not leaners,” he said.
“We will not leave anyone behind.”
Coalition claims nationwide swing
With 70 per cent of votes counted, the Coalition has won 53.5 per cent of votes on a two-party preferred basis, a swing of 3.6 per cent in its favour.
The Coalition has claimed the scalp of assistant treasurer David Bradbury, Labor’s most senior loss.
He lost his marginal western Sydney seat of Lindsay to Fiona Scott, the candidate Mr Abbott described as having “sex appeal” during the campaign.
Elsewhere in NSW, Coalition candidates look set to win the Labor-held seats of Page, Lindsay and Robertson. The western Sydney seats of Reid and Banks also look set to turn to the Conservatives.
The Coalition has picked up the Victorian seats of Corangamite, La Trobe and Deakin, and looks set to claim the Tasmanian electorates of Bass, Braddon and Lyons.
And Mr Abbott appears set to welcome to the government benches new MPs for the previously Labor-held seats of Hindmarsh in SA and Lingiari in NT.
In Queensland, the Coalition has failed to win any Labor seats, however former Howard government minister Mal Brough is set to make a comeback after defeating controversial former speaker Peter Slipper.
Rudd says Labor needs to renew
Kevin Rudd will head to the opposition backbench, saying the Labor Party needs to renew.
“The Australian people, I believe, deserve a fresh start with our leadership. I know this will not be welcome news to some of you,” he told supporters.
The former two-time prime minister says he knows “Labor hearts are heavy across the nation tonight”.
“And as your PM and as your parliamentary leader of the great Australian Labor Party I accept responsibility.”
But he added how proud he was that no Labor cabinet minister had lost their seat and that the ALP had held its ground in Queensland.
Mr Rudd seized back the leadership from Julia Gillard in June, winning key votes in the Caucus ballot from MPs who believed he was their best chance at saving the ALP from a catastrophic defeat.
However, Labor figures have been quick to , though no-one has yet named the outgoing prime minister by name.
Former frontbencher Greg Combet has pointed to “conniving” figures creating “disunity” within the party, and hinted that retribution will follow Labor’s electoral defeat.
Outgoing health minister Tanya Plibersek and Labor luminary Peter Beattie have also criticised the tension, saying it overshadowed important policy achievements.
However, Rudd backers Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten believe the party achieved a better result under him than it would have under Ms Gillard.
What lies ahead for the new PM
While claiming victory, Mr Abbott repeated key campaign pledges to get the budget on track to surplus, scrap the carbon tax and “stop the boats”.
They may be challenging promises to fulfil and he will need to show voters swift signs of success in those areas to avoid political damage.
Mr Abbott believes cutting red and green tape, having a firm fiscal strategy and supporting private enterprise will help reverse what he calls a “budget emergency”.
Implementing his border protection policy will directly affect relations with some of Australia’s most crucial neighbours, particularly Indonesia.
Mr Abbott’s plan involves putting a senior military officer in charge of securing Australia’s borders, continued offshore processing, turning boats back when safe to do so and buying boats off people smugglers in Indonesia.
The incoming prime minister characterised the election as a referendum on the carbon tax and has promised to begin work on legislation to repeal it on the first day of government.
However, until mid-2014 the Senate will remain under the control of Labor and the Greens, which have both indicated they would block a move to scrap the carbon tax.
Mr Abbott has left open the option of a double dissolution election if his plan faces opposition in the Senate.
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