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MELBOURNE (Australia) – The Australian Conservative government has lost its parliamentary majority with one seat and is facing the threat of early elections after voters have, in a special vote, punished Premier Scott Morrison for political turmoil which had made him become the fifth leader of the country in as many years.
The conservative Liberal-National coalition was defeated on Saturday in a Sydney constituency owned by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull prior to his ouster in August. Liberal Party candidate Dave Sharma conceded to Kerryn Phelps, a renowned local doctor and gay rights advocate.
The loss, in which an independent candidate triumphed in a conservative fortress encompassing rich harbor suburbs and beaches, was one of the largest fluctuations in the by-election compared to a government in place to date . This defeat is also the first victory of the Liberal Party at Wentworth headquarters. The government must rely on the support of a small group of independent members and small parties to pass bills. In addition, Opposition Labor Party candidates are now considered favorites to win the national elections scheduled for next year.
"The Liberals are angry and they have expressed it," Morrison said. "We will listen tonight," he added, telling supporters of the party that he was not "defeated" and that the Liberals would show up as usual in Parliament on Monday morning.
Most lawmakers promised to support the Conservatives in crucial confidence votes to support the minority government. Although Ms. Phelps made a similar commitment, she left open the possibility of voting against the government at a test of support likely to be triggered by the Labor Party as early as next week, which means that It could provoke early elections.
Phelps said her victory marked a return to decency, integrity and humanity in Australian politics and "a little common sense about climate action." "People wanted to hear about the problems, not the survival of a particular political party" Phelps added that Australians were concerned about the direction of the government for some time.
Mr. Morrison is now facing the prospect of fierce negotiations with opponents – reinforced by Mr. Phelps' victory – over controversial climate and energy bills, as well as the debate over the release of plaintiffs. asylum detained in Pacific island countries by order of Australia. These problems exacerbated tensions between the leaders that led to the removal of Mr. Turnbull.
In addition, financial markets may be worried about possible political instability that could defeat Mr Morrison's plans to tackle the national debt and generate a budget surplus by 2020, as pressure for more moderate economic and social protection policies are becoming more urgent.
The Australian economy has experienced 27 years of uninterrupted economic growth, driven this year by consumer spending and infrastructure programs led by the government. Yet, while unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in six years, household debt has reached record highs, wage growth is slow, and a once-booming housing market has subsided.
Write to Rob Taylor at [email protected] and Robb M. Stewart at [email protected]
