By Jill Fraser
MELBOURNE (AA) – Australians headed to the polls for a federal election early Saturday with early predictions suggesting no political party would command a majority in the country’s House of Representatives.
A poll published on the eve of the election suggested that the center-left Labor Party and the conservative coalition government were locked at around 50 percent.
While the present conservative coalition — led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull — is still widely expected to retain power, polls indicate a high chance of a hung parliament.
Since ousting Tony Abbott as prime minister in September, Turnbull’s coalition and the Labor party have sparred over immigration, the economy, healthcare, and same-sex marriage.
In a final televised pre-election speech, Turnbull attempted to reinforce a message of stability, economic competence, and the dangers of a volatile global economy.
“These are times of great opportunity, but they are volatile times,” Turnbull said Friday.
“There is plenty of uncertainty around. You have got to approach that with a plan. You can’t just pretend the world is some sort of tranquil environment where everything is going to be the same in six months, as it was yesterday.
“It is not … that is why the critical choice on Saturday is to vote for a Liberal or National candidate because that is the only way to ensure that your vote counts towards a stable Coalition majority government and the delivery of our economic plan.”
Nearly 15.5 million people are casting their ballots across the country, where voting is compulsory.
Should the Labor Party win, its leader, Bill Shorten, will become Australia’s fifth prime minister in just three years.
