Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian Labor back in by the thinnest majority

Updated at 10:00 pm on 7 September 2010

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor Party has won another term of government, with two of the three independent MPs who held the balance of power announcing that they will support Labor.

At a nationally televised news conference in Canberra on Tuesday afternoon, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott threw in their lot with Labor, ending two weeks of speculation about the election outcome.

The election on 21 August produced a hung Parliament.

The three independent MPs had been expected to stick together but earlier on Tuesday Bob Katter broke away and said he would back the opposition Coalition led by Tony Abbott.

Labour is thus re-elected by the thinnest of majorities, with 76 seats in the 150-seat lower House to the Coalition's 74.

Ms Gillard says the lengthy election process testifies to the strength of democracy in Australia and she's ready to lead her country.

After addressing a news conference she called on the Governor-General to formally advise her that Labor has the numbers to form a government.

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