MELBOURNE, May 21 (ABC):Polls opened in Australia’s federal election Saturday, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison fighting for another three-year term that would extend a decade of conservative rule.
Long queues formed in several stations, as Morrison — behind in pre-election polls — accused his rival Anthony Albanese of “hubris” in predicting a centre-left Labor win.
“You can’t get ahead of yourself,” said Morrison, in a last pre-election pitch to voters.
Albanese has predicted the race will be “close” and promised Australians “some honesty in politics” after Morrison’s high-spin style.
People are “over” soundbites, Albanese said, on the eve of the vote, promising to transform Australia’s resistance to tackling climate change.
“Give Labor a crack. We have plans for this country,” he said. “We have plans to embrace the opportunities that are there from acting on climate change.”
Morrison has promised to continue “strong” management of the economy and warned his rival cannot “manage money” and so is unfit for office.
More than 17 million Australians are registered to vote in an election that will decide who controls the House of Representatives, the Senate and who lives in the prime minister’s “Lodge”.
More than seven million people have already cast early or postal ballots, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
Two final polls put Labor six points ahead of Morrison’s Liberal-led coalition, but with the race narrowing and neither party assured of an outright victory.