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Shorten expects coalition to 'scrape over the line'

Labor leader Bill Shorten has all but conceded defeat in the 2016 election.

Mr Shorten, speaking at an ALP caucus meeting in Canberra on Friday, said it was "likely in the coming days" the coalition will "scrape over the line".


Seat count

Coalition - 73
Labor - 66
Other - 5
TO WIN - 76

The counting nationally still tells the story of a frighteningly close call for the Prime Minister, however. Current figures from the Australian Electorial Commission shows a difference nationally of just under 6000 votes between the two major parties.

While he stopped short of officially conceding, Mr Shorten predicted another trip to the polls within the next year.

"The combination of a Prime Minister with no authority, a government with no direction and a Liberal party at war with itself will see Australians back at the polls within a year," Mr Shorten said.

"We will be campaign-ready from this day onwards."

It comes after senior Cabinet Minister Christopher Pyne claimed victory Friday morning.

Malcolm Turnbull could claim government by the end of the day as postal votes flow to coalition. Source: 7 News

"We have won again," he told breakfast TV. "That's our sixth victory out of eight in the last 20 years."

The current tally has the coalition at 73 seats - three short of a majority - to Labor's 66, with five seats confirmed for independents.

Six seats remain in doubt, but the trend across the board it going in Turnbull's favour.

Party insiders say Liberal candidates are expecting to pick up either four or five of the remaining seats, which would push Turnbull past the 76-seat majority required to form government.


If predictions prove wrong and the coalition is not able to secure an outright majority, they will have the backing of Queensland independent MP Bob Katter who Thursday announced he would support Turnbull on any confidence motion and agreed not to block supply.

The late surge was trumpeted by cabinet minister Christopher Pyne who said the coalition has won the election, claiming it's an "an election-winning machine".

"We have won again. That's our sixth victory out of eight in the last 20 years. You have to say that we are an election-winning machine in the Liberal Party," Mr Pyne told the media, expecting some seats still in doubt to fall its way.

Mr Pyne claimed Forde for the coalition, where sitting MP Bert van Manen leads Labor's Des Hardman by 687 votes.

He also believes it is likely to win Herbert, Capricornia and Flynn - where the ALP are all in front, but by margins of less than 700 votes.

"We're even an outside chance still in Hindmarsh and Cowan, so we will form a majority government and we're also making arrangements with some of the crossbenchers for supply and confidence, so we will have a solid government," he added.

News break – July 9