The past three years have all but spelt the end of the LNP in Australia in its current form or at the very least, its position within government. This weekend, on May 21, Australians hit the polls to cast their vote, and the message was clear: they’d had enough of Scott Morrison and his damn smirk and “that’s not my job” attitude.
Not only did the Liberal National Party (LNP) lose seats to the Australian Labor Party (ALP), but they lost seats to what’s being described as the teal wave – a host of independents looking to represent the underrepresented.
For those that might not keep their finger on the pulse of Australian politics, government is formed by voting representatives into the 151 seats. If a party is able to secure 76 seats (meaning 76 representatives from 76 districts), it can form a majority government. Gain fewer than 76 seats, and a minority government will be formed, whereby the party with the most votes will need to work together with the crossbench to enact policies and change.
As of writing, Labor is at 72 seats with 12 seats still in doubt and being counted. With the LNP sitting at 52, it does not have enough to form a majority or a minority, so it has been booted from its position of power.
Australia has spoken, and it’s said it does not want the conservative and right-wing policies of the Liberal party. Instead, policies around climate change, wages, and women’s rights and representation won the day.
From here on out, it will be interesting to see what Albo does with this new position. There were a lot of promises made along the campaign trail, including a federal ICAC to combat corruption within government. After the last three years, I’m hopeful that Australia will see some positive change and some immediate action.
