A handful of independents are set to decide Australia’s political future after an inconclusive election delivered what seems certain to be the country’s first hung parliament since World War II.

In a history-making day for Australia, a national primary vote swing of more than 5 per cent against Labor left Julia Gillard fighting to hold onto the prime ministership she took over just two months ago from Kevin Rudd.

Tony Abbott, meanwhile, has declared the Coalition is “back in business”.

Key points of the 2010 election:

• Australia set for first hung parliament since 1940
• Greens hold balance of power in Senate with nine seats
• Liberal Ken Wyatt elected first Indigenous member of Lower House in WA seat of Hasluck
• Adam Bandt first Greens member elected to the Lower House at a general election
• LNP’s Wyatt Roy, 20, becomes youngest person ever elected to Parliament in seat of Longman
• Veteran Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey loses O’Connor to Nationals candidate after holding it since 1980
• Labor’s 2007 star recruit Maxine McKew loses seat of Bennelong
• The independants could hold the balance of power – Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter

Some counting continues today but the final state of play may not be known for days and the three re-elected independents – Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter – have vowed to work with whichever party can provide stable government.

After a night of surprises and firsts, whichever party forms government will also have to deal with a Greens member after Adam Bandt took the seat of Melbourne from the ALP.

A fourth independent is also in play with former intelligence analyst Andrew Wilkie a chance to take the Tasmanian seat of Denison.

Both leaders will be talking to the independents in coming days as postal votes continue to be counted in seats still too close to all.

Short of a majority

As counting wound up on Saturday night Labor was left with 70 seats after being hit by a massive 9.4 per cent swing against it in Queensland and 6.9 per cent in New South Wales.

After picking up a slew of seats in both states the Coalition can claim 72 seats, four short of the number needed to form government in its own right.

ABC election analyst Antony Green was predicting Labor would have 72 seats and the Coalition 73 when the counting is done.

Ms Gillard was the first to address her supporters in Melbourne late in the night as the prospect of a hung parliament became clearer, telling her supporters the nation faced “anxious” days ahead.

But she vowed to fight to form government in the coming days and flagged her willingness to work with the crossbenchers.

“We have always believed that the best days of country are ahead of us,” she said.

“In this camp we have fought for a positive plan for those better days.

“In these days, as the election result is being determined, the conventions of our wonderful democracy ensure that I will continue to lead the Government and provide strong and stable government until the outcome of the election is clearly known.”

For the full story see The ABC News

Source: The ABC News

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