Scott Morrison set to lead majority government as Coalition nears key seat wins
Scott Morrison's Liberal-National coalition is edging closer to a majority after Saturday's federal election, with the party expected to seize at least 77 seats.
As of Monday morning, the Coalition appeared to have 75 seats and was on track for a lower house majority, particularly if it retains Bass in Tasmania and Chisholm in Victoria.
Labor was on 65 seats and is running ahead on votes in Cowan in Western Australia, Lilley in Queensland and Macquarie in NSW.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's old seat of Wentworth in Sydney's east looks set to return to the Liberals, with Dave Sharma so far holding 51.2 per cent of the two-party preferred vote over Independent Kerryn Phelps.
In Bass, the Liberals' Bridget Archer leads Labor MP Ross Hart by a couple of hundred votes and the Australian Electoral Commission also listed Chisholm and Macquarie as close.
Labor MP Susan Templeman leads her Liberal rival Sarah Richards by 312 votes in the NSW seat of Macquarie.
Liberal candidate for Chisholm Gladys Liu leads Labor's Jennifer Yang by 166 votes in Chisholm.
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The final tally could end up with 77 seats for the Coalition, 68 for Labor with six cross-benchers.
In the previous parliament the numbers were: Liberals 58, Nationals 16, Labor 69, Greens 1, Centre Alliance 1, Katter's Australian Party 1, independents 4.
ABC’s chief political analyst Antony Green said Bass is likely to be the Coalition’s 76th seat.
He believes the LNP will have a majority government as they are likely to claim at least 77 seats.
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