Australia’s major parties neck and neck in tight election battle
PM Morrison hopes voters ignore Coalition infighting, while Labor’s Shorten has become tabloid target
Australia’s two major parties are neck-and-neck as voters prepare to go to the polls on Saturday, after a bruising election campaign that has turned personal, prompted the issue of climate change to come to the fore, and led to the campaigning of the Murdoch press almost backfiring.
Up for re-election is the incumbent centre-right Coalition government, led by the prime minister, Scott Morrison, leader of the Liberal party. The Coalition is bitterly divided over climate change and suffering after years of factional infighting. It has held power since 2013 but has been behind the opposition Labor party in the polls since mid-2016.