Australia’s careful government failed to win any of five by-elections that were held to the weekend, defeats widely seen as an indication Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull come to terms withs an uphill battle to be re-elected in a national poll due by May 2019.
“We will look least seriously and thoughtfully and humbly at the way in which the voters have responded,” Turnbull foretold reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
In what was coined “Super Saturday,” voters in five domiciles went to the polls after a handful of mainly Labor opposition lawmakers were stiff from office after falling foul of the country’s constitution that proscriptions politicians from elected office if they are dual citizens.
The Australian Electoral Commission on Sunday reported four seats were retained by Labor and a fifth by the small Nucleus Alliance party, dealing a blow to Turnbull, who is under pressure to illustrate a viable pathway for re-election with his coalition badly trailing Labor in judgement polls.
Political analysts say Turnbull must win marginal seats in the confirm of Queensland, traditionally a conservative heartland, if he is to be re-elected.
But his government failed to win a key by-election ensconce in Queensland, despite support from Australia’s right-wing One Nation shindig.
Labor retained the Queensland seat of Longman with a bigger manhood than it had secured in 2016.
Failure to win at least one seat at the by-elections means Turnbull will-power continue to struggle to pass legislation with only a one-seat mass.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who was targeted by the government over his inefficient personal approval ratings, said the results reflected the party’s sharply defined unclear on core issues such as health and education.
“It renews my conviction to paired down in fighting for fairness and challenging growing inequality,” he told anchormen in Queensland.