Australia's Labor says enough seats to govern outright

SYDNEY • Australia's centre-left Labor party has secured enough seats in the Lower House of Parliament to govern in its own right, the country's new prime minister said yesterday, letting it form a government without the support of independents or minor parties.

Although the previous conservative coalition government conceded almost immediately after the May 21 vote, close results in some seats and high levels of postal voting had kept the final tally uncertain 10 days after the election.

Addressing a televised media conference yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Labor had won 77 seats, a majority in the 151-seat House of Representatives. Securing a majority lowers the risk for Labor that it would have to negotiate with 16 crossbenchers - mostly climate-focused independents and Greens - to pass legislation, although it will still need to win additional support for legislation in Parliament's Upper House.

"Australians have placed their trust in us and that brings with it an enormous responsibility, an enormous responsibility to deliver on the commitments that we made, the commitments for which we have a clear mandate as part of a majority Labor government," Mr Albanese told a meeting of Labor's parliamentary team yesterday. He had named an interim ministry of himself, Senator Penny Wong, Dr Jim Chalmers, Ms Katy Gallagher and Mr Richard Marles, less than two days after the election so he could attend a previously scheduled meeting of the Quad grouping in Japan, which also includes the United States, India and Japan.

Yesterday, he confirmed Mr Marles as Deputy Prime Minister, Senator Wong as Foreign Minister, Dr Chalmers as Treasurer, and Ms Gallagher as Finance Minister. Mr Marles will also be Defence Minister. New appointments included Senator Don Farrell in the trade portfolio, Ms Clare O'Neill as Home Affairs Minister and Mr Chris Bowen as Climate Change and Energy Minister.

Also announced was Sydney member of parliament Matt Thistlethwaite, who would be assistant minister for the republic, despite the country being a constitutional monarchy. Mr Albanese has previously described Australia becoming a republic as "inevitable".

The new ministry will be sworn in today.

The two parties which make up the conservative coalition, the Liberal Party of Australia and the rural-focused National Party of Australia, had also elected new leaders after entering opposition for the first time in nine years. The Liberals selected former home affairs minister Peter Dutton to replace former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who stepped down after the election defeat, while the Nationals chose David Littleproud to replace Barnaby Joyce.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE