Australia's political parties began dealing on Sunday to break an anticipated parliamentary deadlock after a dramatic election failed to produce a clear winner, raising the prospect of prolonged political and economic instability.
The exceptionally close vote leaves Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right Liberal Party-led government in a precarious position, potentially needing the support of independent and minor parties.
It has also opened the door to the possibility, although less likely, that the main opposition Labour Party could win enough backing from the smaller parties to form government itself, although Turnbull said on Sunday he remained "quietly confident" of returning his coalition to power for another three-year term.
Labour Leader Bill Shorten said Australians had rejected Turnbull's mandate for reform like cuts to healthcare and a A$50 billion ($37 billion U.S.) corporate tax break over 10 years.
The election was meant to end a period of political turmoil in which Australia which has had four prime ministers in three years. Instead it has left a power vacuum in Canberra and fueled talk of a challenge to Turnbull's leadership of the Liberal Party, less than a year after he ousted then Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a party-room coup.
If the coalition fails to form a government, it would be the first time in 85 years an Australian ruling party has lost power after its first term in office.
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