Australia / Oceania

Australia's Ruling Coalition Loses Its Majority In Parliament

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal Party will now have to compromise with independents and the opposition to get anything passed in Parliament.

Australia's Ruling Coalition Loses Its Majority In Parliament
Getty Images
SMS

Australia's ruling coalition has lost its majority in Parliament by one seat

A special election was held for that seat in Sydney on Saturday. 

Independent candidate Kerryn Phelps reportedly won the spot with ease. She said the victory should "signal a return of decency, integrity and humanity to the Australian government." 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal Party will now have to compromise with independents and the opposition to get anything passed in Parliament. 

The seat Phelps won was left empty after Malcolm Turnbull was ousted as prime minister and resigned from Parliament in August.

At the time, Turnbull reportedly said that "former prime ministers are best out of parliament not in it." 

Australia's had six prime ministers in just over a decade. None of them has successfully finished their first term before being forced out by their own party.