Barnaby Joyce doesn't rule out ditching net zero target

The former deputy prime minister was asked whether the Nationals policy, as it stands today, was to support net zero emissions by 2050.

Barnaby Joyce didn't give a definite answer, instead saying:

"I am going to make sure, like I know that we have a target, but I'm going to let the Nationals have their say in their party room in the next fortnight.

"In all things after an election, on all policy, there is a discussion, right. And that's not saying that you are agoing to drop it or you're going to stick with it. It says that we allow people in the dignity of our room to reflect back on what was pertinent in their electorate."

Barnaby Joyce says election results gave some wins to the Nationals

The former deputy prime minister said although it was a disappointment the Coalition lost the election, the Nationals were able to make some progress.

"The Nationals won every seat that they formerly held, got within one step of two others, being Lingiari and Hunter, and even with three retirements and open seats, we won back those seats," he said.

"And of course we picked up another Senator, so after July 1 our party room will be bigger than it was before."

Mr Joyce said as the Opposition, he would be holding the Government to account, promising to "do our best job on behalf of our nation in being a good Opposition that is fleshing out flaws and policy, making the Australian people aware of things that are a risk and how better changes can be made".

Can senators be ministers?

How can Penny Wong be sworn in as Minister for Foreign Affairs when she's a Senator, not an MP?

-Confused

Hey Confused, senators can definitely be ministers too! The former foreign affairs minister was Senator Marise Payne and Senator Simon Birmingham was the Finance Minister, just to name a few.

Senator Katy Gallagher will be the new Finance Minister too.

The AEC has updated the two-party preferred count in Grey 

The Electoral Commission will redo its two-party preferred count in the safe outback SA Liberal seat of Grey after Labor polled ahead of independent Liz Habermann.

The commission had assumed Ms Habermann would be one of the two highest-polling candidates — along with Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey — but Labor's Julie Watson has received twice as many votes as her.

It will now redo the two-party preferred count as Liberal v Labor.

Mr Ramsey told the ABC he was not accepting congratulations yet.

"That recount I think will take the best part of a week," he said.

"My expectation is that I will hold the seat but you can't assume that people will follow the how-to-vote card when they go into the booth.

"It's their second preferences, their vote and they can distribute it however they like."

Because of the error, the AEC's website is showing Labor leading by 7 per cent. The ABC's preference estimate is showing Mr Ramsey leading by 8 per cent.

Anthony Albanese has arrived at Parliament House

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have arrived at Parliament House before Mr Albanese is due to fly to Tokyo for a meeting of the Quad.

We're expecting to hear from the new Prime Minister before he leaves.

The Greens haven't discussed any deals with the new government yet

The Greens leader Adam Bandt said he's spoken to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese but hasn't said whether his party would make any deals with the new government. 

It's unclear yet whether Labor will win enough seats to govern in majority, or will need to rely on members of the crossbench. 

The Greens had their best result yet in this election, winning at least three seats in the House of Representatives with three more still too close to call. 

Mr Bandt said he had a brief phone call with Anthony Albanese to congratulate the new PM before he heads to Japan for the Quad international leaders meeting.  

"I expect by the time he gets back there may be a bit of a better understanding about the House of Representatives and whether Labor gets a majority in its own right or whether they're in a minority," he said.

"I said we did want to work together, we want a cooperative appraoch."

Peter Dutton 'will be leader' of Liberal Party, Alan Tudge says

Liberal MP Alan Tudge says former defence minister Peter Dutton will be the next leader of the Liberal Party. 

Scott Morrison said he would resign as leader after the Coalition lost the election on Saturday night. 

Mr Tudge says he expects a number of his colleagues to contest the deputy leadership, suggesting Michaelia Cash, Jane Hume and Sussan Ley would be capable of taking over that position. 

When Mr Tudge was asked on Sky News who should replace Mr Morrison as leader, he said it will be Mr Dutton. 

"Peter Dutton will be leader. I think he will be incredibly effective, he has immense character and experience," he said.

"We have deep values within the Liberal Party and I think we need to go back to those values."

Which seats are still in doubt?

Twelve seats remain in doubt, and with Labor needing four more seats to form a majority government, there's a lot riding on them.

The Labor Party currently has 72 lower house seats and needs to get to 76 to govern without the help of crossbenchers.

The seats still in doubt are:

• Bass
• Bennelong
• Brisbane
• Cowper
• Deakin
• Gilmore
• Lyons
• Macnamara
• Menzies
• Moore
• Richmond
• Sturt

This article takes a look at how things are currently tracking in those seats.

Successful independent Dai Le says it was 'arrogant' of Labor to parachute in a candidate

Local independent Dai Le won Sydney's south-west seat of Fowler over Labor's Kristina Keneally.

Ms Le said the win was a bit surreal.

"Yesterday I sat in my lounge room and just, was thinking back to the moment when my family escaped communist Vietnam on a rickety boat, in the ocean, didn't know whether we were [going to] live or die, and so I just can't believe it."

She said her electorate felt "abandoned and forgotten" by Labor amid the COVID lockdowns.

"I'm sure you remember how badly we were treated, we were treated like second-class citizens," she said.

"A lot of voters were so angry, and a lot of Labor voters actually were so angry, with the fact that that the Labor Party was arrogant enough to think that they can parachute somebody from the Northern Beaches, in particular, to come and represent the south-west, one of the most socially disadvantaged communities.

"[Kristina Keneally] has no roots here, she's not connected to this area, so how can we trust that she can deliver for us?

"They thought it was a slap in the face, it was an insult to them, those were the comments that I received when voters were coming to vote for me and they have never voted anybody else other than Labor."

The swearing-in is an 'interim arrangement'. What does that mean?

The swearing-in of ministers in multiple portfolios has happened in an "interim" capacity.

For the government to continue uninterrupted, the Governor-General can appoint an interim, or caretaker, government pending the resolution of political matters.

This arrangement will allow Anthony Albanese to attend the Quad talks in Japan, while ensuring the new government hits the ground running from day one.

Speaking about the arrangement yesterday, Albanese said the portfolios have been worked out as an interim arrangement with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

"You can't have a circumstance whereby there aren't ministers," he said.

"So they'll all be sworn in to multiple portfolios."

Mr Albanese said the caucus and normal process will operate next week.

"Obviously the Quad leaders' meeting is a priority for Australia and it enables us to send a message to the world that ... There is a change of government, there will be some changes in policy, particularly with regard to climate change and our engagement with the world on those issues."