Australia's opposition Labor party pulled off a huge electoral turnaround in a key state on Saturday, positioning it to oust the ruling Liberal-National party in a voter backlash that threatens the future of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Reuters reported. With 70 percent of the vote in, the conservative government that has ruled Queensland state with a massive majority was one seat away from losing office after one term. The voters' swing toward Labor was credited to the unpopularity of the ruling party's plan to sell off public assets and cut government services, as well as the rising unpopularity of Abbott, the national conservative leader. Late on Saturday , Labor was estimated to have secured 44 seats, just one shy of the 45 needed to govern in the 89-seat legislative assembly. The Liberal-National party (LNP) looked set to hold on to 33 seats, with three seats won by minor and independent parties and nine still undetermined. The early results are a massive turnaround from the majority the LNP secured when it won office in 2012, winning 78 of the 89 seats in the Queensland parliament - the largest political majority in Australia's history. "It's still too close to call, but I am very hopeful that we'll be able to form government," Labor leader Annastacia Palszczuk told supporters. -- SPA 19:58 LOCAL TIME 16:58 GMT تغريد
