Sydney : Australians began voting in a federal election on Saturday, with bookies predicting a return to power for the Labor party after six years in the political wilderness and a campaign in which it has put climate change and tax reform at the top of its agenda.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made economic management the centrepiece of the campaign for his conservative Liberal-National coalition, which has held power since 2013.
Poll opened at 8 a.m. (2200 GMT on Friday) and will close at 6 p.m. (0800 GMT). Voting is compulsory in Australia and the result should be known on Saturday evening.
The campaign ended on a sombre note, with the death on Thursday of the popular former prime minister and Labor stalwart Bob Hawke. Hawke, who was prime minister from 1983 to 1991, was 89.
While it seems unlikely that Hawke’s death will have any impact on how voters cast their ballots, Labor leader Bill Shorten said it had made him more determined than ever.
A final opinion poll conducted by Newspoll for The Weekend Australian on Friday showed Labor’s lead over the National-Liberal coalition at 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent.
