Labor’s hopes for majority government are now pinned on three electorates after a fourth lower house seat went to the Greens.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday called last weekend’s election an “outstanding result” for the party.
The major parties both received record-low primary votes, but Albanese pointed to voters in traditional blue-ribbon seats putting independents as number one.
Deakin and Macnamara in Victoria and Gilmore in NSW are the three seats that remain close.
Labor needs 76 seats to gain a majority in the lower house of federal parliament, with the party sitting on 75.
Liberal MP Michael Sukkar is 655 votes ahead of Labor’s candidate Matt Gregg in Victoria’s Deakin electorate, which has recorded a roughly 4 percent swing to Labor.
In Macnamara, incumbent Labor MP Josh Burns has taken a slight lead over his Greens rival Steph Hodgins-May with Liberal candidate Colleen Harkin trailing.
In NSW, sitting Labor MP Fiona Phillips is 214 votes behind Liberal candidate Andrew Constance in Gilmore, with postal votes slightly favouring Constance.
Even with Labor’s final count in Parliament House uncertain, the party will hold a caucus meeting on Tuesday before its new ministry is sworn in on Wednesday.
The Greens have claimed victory in the Queensland seat of Brisbane, with sitting Liberal MP Trevor Evans relinquishing the seat to Stephen Bates after a tight contest between Bates and Labor’s candidate.
And Nationals deputy David Littleproud announced on Saturday he will run against Barnaby Joyce for the party’s leadership.
Former veterans affairs minister Darren Chester has also put his hand up for the role.
The junior coalition partner will have its first post-election meeting on Monday where they will spill the leadership as per tradition.
