Votes for minor parties could decide next Australian government

May 16, 2019

1 NEWS Australia Correspondent Ryan Boswell has this report ahead of the May 18 vote.

Australia’s federal election on Saturday is predicted to be a close race, with minor parties and independent candidates expected to make an impact.

Both Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition are hoping they won’t need to rely on the minor parties to form a government after Saturday’s election. 

Millionaire Clive Palmer who fronts the United Australia Party is estimated to have spent more than $50 million on his campaign. The expense includes $5.6 million unsolicited text messages sent to voters, and his own game where he gathers Tim Tam biscuits and squashes political rivals.

His methods have attracted criticism from his opponents, but Mr Palmer argues his tactics aren’t just for winning over voters.
"This is not to do with mainstream politics if you like, it’s to do with a social good for the community."

Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party accused Mr Palmer of buying votes with his big budget methods.

One Nation are trying to win back votes after it was alleged it wooed the US gun lobby for political donations.

Meanwhile former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is predicted to be pipped at the polls in his Warringah electorate by independent candidate Zali Steggall.

Ms Steggall, a former Olympic medal winning skier said the time for political parties is moving on.

Fifteen other independent candidates are campaigning in the election, and polling shows 20 per cent of Australian voters are looking outside of the two major parties when considering who to vote for. 

The trend is representative a loss of confidence in the Liberal, National, and Labor parties after years of political infighting. There have been six Prime Ministers in Australia in just nine years.

The latest polls show it could be a tight race between Labor and the Liberal National Coalition.

All 151 seats in the Federal parliament are up for grabs, as well as 40 of the six seats in the senate.

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