Sydney; The national election is shaping up to be a close battle in the final stretch, with the ruling conservative coalition closing the deficit on the main opposition Labor Party. Three days before the country votes on a new government, a Sydney Morning Herald survey found that Labor’s 54-46 percent advantage over the Liberal-National coalition has dropped to 51-49 percent on a two-party preferred basis, down from 54-46 percent two weeks ago.
Another survey conducted by ‘The Guardian’ revealed that it had dropped a point to 48%, indicating that the election had become too close to call. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed confidence that his party will win the election, calling pre-poll indications ‘very positive’. According to official figures, about 6 million of Australia’s 17 million registered voters had already voted. So far, an additional 1.1 million postal or early in-person votes have been collected compared to 2019.
Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers remarked on the extra time necessary to count postal votes, ‘If it’s close, this number of postal ballots makes an election night indication of who forms government less possible’. Recognizing the election’s tight call, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said ABC television, ‘We’ll be working our buttocks off all the way up until the polls shut’. In Australia, inflation has caused voters concern since it has risen twice as fast as wages, keeping real income in the red.
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