The Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday called a clear win for the Abbott-led opposition party over Mr Rudd's Labour in national polls.
"The coalition is on a pretty secure 74 seats already. On that basis they're going to get a majority. I think we can say the government has been defeated," Antony Green, the state broadcaster's election analyst, said.
Meanwhile a government minister said her party had lost the election. Health Minister Tanya Plibersek told ABC after 13 percent of the votes were counted that her government's loss was no longer in doubt.
She said: "I am a cautious person by nature, but I think that it's pretty clear it's a matter of the size of the victory" for the conservative Liberal Party-led alliance.
The apparent victory by Australia’s British-born opposition leader would mark a dramatic return to power for the conservative Liberal-National party after six years of shaky Labour rule. » | Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney | Saturday, September 07, 2013
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tony Abbott wins, but does Australia care?: Australians have elected Tony Abbott with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, writes Andrew Mueller » | Andrew Mueller | Saturday, September 07, 2013
