Labor has won 75 seats from Saturday's federal election, needing just one more to govern in its own right.
Look back at Thursday's developments with our blog.
Key events
- Labor's Brian Mitchell retains the seat of Lyons
- Peter Dutton confirms he'll run for opposition leader
- Top two candidates unclear in Brisbane and Macnamara, AEC says
- Morrison gives first interview since election, says he will support new Liberal Party leadership
- Albanese says Plibersek 'did the right thing by apologising' to Dutton over Voldemort jab
- Dutton seeks to change his public image ahead of becoming Opposition Leader
- Albanese says he has better relationship with Dutton than Morrison
- Tanya Plibersek apologises for likening Peter Dutton to Voldemort
- Only 113 votes between major parties in Gilmore
- So how many seats are still in doubt?
Live updates
By Shiloh Payne
That's all for today's blog
Thank you for joining us, we'll be back tomorrow as votes continue to be counted.
You can follow the latest on the remaining seats as it happens here, and you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news here.
By Shiloh Payne
Celia Hammond concedes defeat in Curtin
Liberal Party candidate Celia Hammond has conceded defeat to "teal" independent Kate Chaney in Curtin.
In a statement, Ms Hammond said as counting of votes continued it had become clear Ms Chaney would become the next person elected to represent the electorate.
"It has been a privilege and honour to have served for the last 3 years as the representitive for the people in Curtin in the Federal Parliament," Ms Hammond said in a statement.
"I congratulate Kate on her election, and sincerely wish her all the best as she takes on the responisbility and privilege of representing the people who live in the most beautiful part of Australia."
Ms Hammond held the seat for one term, after taking over from former foreign minister Julie Bishop.
It means the Liberals lost five seats in western Australia at the federal election.
By Shiloh Payne
Labor is serious about tackling climate change, Penny Wong says
Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong has told Pacific leaders that a new Labor government is serious about tackling climate change.
Senator Wong is in FIji at the Pacific Islands Forum and has described the visit as an opportunity to reassert Australia's dipolmatic presence in the region.
In a speech made before Fijian dignitaries, Senator Wong described climate change as an existential threat to the Pacific and the new Australian government would be more committed to climate action than its predecessort.
"I assure you we have heard as out election showed the climate crisis loomed as one of the key issues for the Australian people," Senator Wong said.
By Shiloh Payne
What seats are currently in play?
ABC Chief Election Analyst Antony Green says there are four seats currently in play, they are Deakin, Gilmore, Brisbane and Macnamara.
Here's what he had to say about each of those seats.
Deakin:
"Deakin in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne which is held by Michael Sukkar. He was the Assistant Treasurer. He's up against Matt Gregg. We don't have a result on this. The postal votes have been favouring Michael Sukkar and at this stage he is slightly ahead but the absent votes are still to come. It means at this stage we can't call that seat."
Gilmore:
"Gilmore is close at this stage. This is where Andrew Constance has been trying to win the seat. This was a seat that went against the trend last time and the only seat gained by Labor. It may be the only seat gained by the Liberal Party. Andrew Constance has been well as the Minister for Bega and Minister for Transport. He has a 2.7 per cent swing in his favour. About 140 votes between it at the moment. The postal votes have been favouring Constance but the absent votes may well trend to Labor."
Brisbane:
"This is more complex, a three way race. In Brisbane we have Trevor Evans. He can't win the seat. [We have] Stephen Bates up against Madonna Jarrett. There's four other candidates whose preferences will be distributed. What that means is during the distribution of preferences it's a question of whether Bates or Jarrett gets excluded first. Whoever gets excluded first will vote for the other. It may be a changing vote order that Jarrett will win it. It is impossible to work it out. Trevor Evans has lost it for the LNP but it's unclear if it's Labor or the Greens who will get it."
Mcnamara:
"The old Port Melbourne, south of the Yarra and running out towards Caulfield. It's been held by Josh Burns. Josh Burns is the Labor member up against Colleen Harkin and Steph Hodgins-May. It's a question of who finishes third in this contest. If Harkin finishes third, Burns win. And if Burns finishes third, Hodgins-May wins on Labor preferences. Some people are saying Labor will win this but the sitting member refuses to say he's won. The Greens refuse to claim victory or concede. They can't work out who is winning. If Labor wins this seat, that's 76 seats. Given the sitting member will not claim victory, I'm not prepared to say Labor has won the seat because everyone in the country will say Labor has a majority. If the Labor Party themselves won't claim victory, I'm not sure I'm going to either."
By Shiloh Payne
The return of the writs
When are we expected to have the writs returned by?
-Confused
Hi there!
According to the AEC, the latest date the writs can be returned is June 28, then the new parliament has 30 days from that point to sit.
But writs can be returned on or before that due date so it's hard to say when exactly it'll happen.
When all polls have been declared, the Electoral Commissioner will certify the name of the successful candidate for each division and forward the writ to the Governor-General or Speaker.
By Shiloh Payne
Labor must abandon support for coal and gas, says Greens leader
Greens leader Adam Bandt says the Australian government will struggle to improve relationships across the pacific if it continues to support coal and gas projects.
Former pacific leaders have welcomed Labor's more ambitious emissions reduction targets but have also called for the new government to take more urgent action.
Mr Bandt says climate change poses an existential threat to pacific island nations and Labor must abandon its support for coal and gas.
“Labor will find it very difficult to re-establish good relationships with our pacific island neighbours if labor keeps opening new coal and gas projects.”
By Shiloh Payne
By Shiloh Payne
Morrison looking forward to going 'back to being a quiet Australian'
Former prime minister Scott Morrison says he is leaving the top job with a "sense of gratitude" not regrets and is looking forward to going back to being a "quiet Australian" in the wake of Saturday's election result.
Peter Dutton is set to run unopposed and become the Liberal Party leader next week, with former environment minister Sussan Ley tipped to become the deputy leader.
Mr Morrison will remain in politics but it is unclear if he will put his hand up for, or be given, a shadow ministry.
"I've got no plans to go anywhere, I'm going back to the shire and re-establishing our life back there, getting the girls back into their routine — I just dropped them off at school this morning," he said.
"I'm looking forward to being a dad again, it's been a while since I've been able to spend as much time as I would've liked with the family."
Mr Morrison said he felt for his Liberal Party colleagues who had lost their seats, including former treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
By Shiloh Payne
Labor's Brian Mitchell retains the seat of Lyons
Labor's Brian Mitchel has retained the Tasmanian seat of Lyons over LNP candidate Susie Bower, ABC Chief Election Analyst Antony Green says.
This takes Labor to 75 seats, leaving them one short of a majority government.
Lyons is Tasmania's largest electorate and takes in just less than half of the state.
By Shiloh Payne
By Shiloh Payne
LNP’s Julian Simmonds has conceded the seat of Ryan
In a Facebook post this morning Julian Simmonds said he was 'disappointed' by the election result as he conceded the Western Brisbane seat of Ryan, but was "proud" of his achievements.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together, especially in a time of unprecedented adversity,” Mr Simmonds wrote.
“And while I am disappointed that I will not be able to continue to serve you as the Member for Ryan, I am reminded of how lucky we are to live in a democracy and how important it is that we continue to defend our country, our values and our way of life.”
Greens candidate Elizabeth Watson-Brown claimed victory on Saturday.
By Shiloh Payne
Strong representation to 'help drive change', says Labor MP
Newly elected federal MP, Wiradjuri man Dr Gordon Reid, says having strong Indigenous representation in parliament will help drive change.
Today marks National Sorry Day and the fifth anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a landmark moment in the Aboriginal rights movement.
Dr Reid, one of six First Nations people in the Labor caucas, says it's time for change.
“I’m so humbled and I feel privileged to be part of a government that does have significant first nations representation." Dr Reid says.
"This is part of the healing process, it's part of how we move forward and it's part of improving outcomes for indigenous people not just on the coast but right across the country."
By Jessica Riga
By Jessica Riga
Punters ponder possible post-election progress
While people in different communities across Australia are already moving on from the dramatic election results on the weekend, many of them are now hoping for change from the new government. Some, however, aren't counting on it.
By Jessica Riga
'Lives are at risk': Community leaders warn the stakes are high as new government decides on welfare controls
Some community leaders worry Labor's pledge to scrap controversial welfare management programs could further fuel binge drinking and child neglect in regional areas, while others cannot wait to see it gone.
The card sets aside the bulk of a person's welfare payments for essentials like food and bills to minimise spending on drugs, alcohol and gambling.
The program has attracted criticism for being impractical and targeting areas with a high Indigenous population.
But others argue it has reduced substance abuse and incentivised employment.
Gija man Ian Trust is one of those hoping the cashless card will be allowed to remain in place in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.
"I think it has led to some improvements … and the bottom line is that you can't just take something away and leave nothing," he says.
"We have real problems — there are lives at risk, especially young children and old people.
"I think the danger is [removing the scheme] will result in more injuries and more alcoholism, and stuff like the police being hunted by mainly Aboriginal youth in stolen cars."
By Jessica Riga
Penny Wong to meet with Fiji's Prime Minister tomorrow
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will meet with Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama tomorrow.
"I've been asked about Fiji's agenda," Prime Minister Bainimarama tweeted.
"At all tables, what matters most is our people and our planet, as well as respect for international law."
By Jessica Riga
NT Greens say they received their best-ever election results
The Northern Territory Greens say they received their best-ever election results in almost all of the territory's urban areas over the weekend.
While the party came in third overall, it says its vote was higher than the Country Liberal Party's in Nhulunbuy and parts of Darwin.
Party manager Josh Wyndham-Kidd says large swings in other areas show voters are aware of environmental issues.
"We saw huge swings, unprecedented results for the Greens in Alice Springs and in Katherine as well, and we put those results down to not only our policy stances, but also the fact that we ran our biggest ever volunteer campaign."
By Jessica Riga
Analysis: After a bruising result in the Top End, what is the future of the Country Liberals?
A bruising result for a party that once saw itself as synonymous with the Northern Territory will lead to uncomfortable questions about the future of the Country Liberal Party, writes Jesse Thompson.
The launch of the Country Liberal Party's election campaign on a sunny April morning was a modest event, the party faithful filing into the small function room of a Darwin waterfront hotel.
Inside, followers gathered around then-deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, who was circling the Northern Territory's two lower house seats in repeat visits — as he told them the CLP would claim victory in the north.
However, those present could easily have observed signs of the trouble critics say is facing the party.
There were few young faces in the room, the crowd was thin and the party's leader in Northern Territory parliament, opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro, was nowhere to be seen.
A bruising election defeat on Saturday night has proven Mr Joyce's prediction wrong on most counts.
By Jessica Riga
'Threatens regional stability': Micronesia pushes back on China's attempt to ink Pacific-wide cooperation agreement
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is promising to blitz the Pacific with a host of visits over coming weeks as Australia grapples with the fallout from a renewed push by China to dramatically expand security and commercial ties with the region.
On Wednesday, Reuters revealed that China would seek a region-wide deal with almost a dozen Pacific islands, covering policing, security and data communications cooperation.
A draft communique and five-year action plan sent by Beijing to 10 Pacific islands ahead of a foreign ministers meeting on May 30 prompted pushback from at least one of the invited nations, which says it showed China's intent to control the region and "threatens regional stability".
In a letter to 21 Pacific leaders, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President David Panuelo said his nation would argue the "pre-determined joint communique" should be rejected, because he fears it could spark a new "Cold War" between China and the West.
The ABC has also obtained a copy of the letter by Mr Panuelo — as well as the "Five Year Action Plan on Common Development" and "Common Development Vision" that China's government has proposed to Pacific states — and verified the contents.
The two documents not only lay out a plan to expand policing cooperation but also propose a new free trade arrangement between China and the Pacific, a new Chinese government envoy to the region, intensified cyber security cooperation and deeper cooperation across a host of sectors from agriculture to fishery and pandemic management.
By Jessica Riga
Peter Dutton confirms he'll run for opposition leader
Peter Dutton has officially confirmed he'll put his hand up for leader of the Liberal Party when the party room meets next.
Mr Dutton told Nine Radio he believes he has the experience needed to be opposition leader and that he wants to restore the Liberal Party to being a "broad church".
He said he wouldn't pre-empt the outcome of any future vote on who would be the deputy leader.
