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Liberal Party leader Scott Morrison has been re-elected as Australia’s prime minister.

In one of the most unexpected victories in Australia’s political history, Morrison resisted three years of exit poll predictions on Saturday to execute a shock election win. Morrison has now secured his first full term in office and the conservative Coalition’s third successive victory.

"I have always believed in miracles," the prime minister announced as he declared victory shortly after midnight.

"Tonight is not about me; it's not about even the Liberal Party. Tonight is about every single Australian who depends on their government to put them first. We've got a lot of work to do. We're going to get back to work for the Australians that we know go to work every day, who face struggles and trials every day," Morrison said.

It is unknown whether the Coalition will govern Australia as a majority government. The Coalition, which currently holds 75 seats, needs to secure at least one of the remaining five seats still in doubt. If it fails to do so, the Coalition will be forced to work in combination with independent MPs as part of a minority government. Labor, at this stage, has secured 65 seats.

The outcome of the final seats is expected to be known in the next few days.

Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten, who was rated as a clear favorite in opinion polls, also made remarks early Saturday.

"Without wanting to hold out any false hope, while there are still millions of votes to count and important seats yet to be finalized, it is obvious that Labor will not be able to form the next government," Shorten told reporters as he conceded the election. “Above all, I wish Morrison good fortune and good courage in the service of our great nation. The national interest required no less.”

With the election result all but known, Morrison will now have to put together a new Cabinet. Over the past few months, the Coalition lost an array of long-serving members to retirement, including former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne.

Once the cabinet is announced, the government can begin introducing its top parliamentary priorities.

Among the Coalition’s key promises were plans to legislate tax relief for 10 million Australians, reduce the minimum deposit required by first home buyers from 20% to 5%, and invest almost $1.4 billion toward the expansion of the Snowy Dam.

The government has also previously announced it plans to cut the nation’s international aid budget from $4.16 billion to $4.04 billion in the next financial year, cut carbon emissions by at least 26% by 2030, and commit a further $461 million toward youth mental health and suicide prevention strategies.

You can view a wrap up of tweets from politicians and political commentators in the wake of the election result below.

TopicsAustraliaScott MorrisonBill ShortenAustralian Federal Election

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

Scott Morrison Re-elected as Australia’s Prime Minister in ‘Miracle’ Election

By Madeleine Keck