FED:Howes looks to WA for narrow Labor win

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2010
FED:Howes looks to WA for narrow Labor win

CANBERRA, Aug 21 AAP - Australian Workers Union secretary Paul Howes predicts Labor
will win 75 seats at the election, falling one short of being able to govern in its own
right.

"All eyes will be on Western Australia, in terms of the result we get out of that state,
whether we retain Hasluck or we pick up Swan," he told ABC Television, with 55 per cent
of the national vote counted.

"They will be very difficult for us, for Labor, to pick up."

Mr Howes said he didn't think there was any likelihood of a majority coalition government.

The coalition needs 17 Labor seats to win the election by garnering a uniform swing
of 2.3 per cent across the country. But the government can lose its absolute majority
if it loses 13 seats.

ABC election analyst Antony Green has already predicted a loss of 13 seats for Labor.

AAP gd/sb/jl/jlw

KEYWORD: POLL10 COUNT HOWES

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