By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths and Monique Ross
Video: Tony Abbott claims Coalition election victory (ABC News)
Photo: Tony Abbott will become Australia's 28th prime minister. (ABC: John Donegan)
Related Story: In pictures: Tony Abbott tours electorates on election day
Related Story: The road ahead for Tony Abbott's Government
Related Story: As it happened: Election Day 2013
Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott has declared that "the time for governing has arrived" after an election that swept Labor from office and brought to an end the Rudd-Gillard era.
Nine weeks after he wrested control of the party and the country from Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd conceded defeat and with a "heavy heart" announced he would step down from the leadership.
With a national swing towards the Coalition of around 3.5 per cent, Mr Abbott has led the Coalition to a strong victory, winning a swathe of seats in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.
"I am both proud and humbled as I shoulder the duties of government. The time for campaigning has passed, the time for governing has arrived. I pledge myself to the service of our country," he told a triumphant crowd of Liberal Party faithful in Sydney.
"I now look forward to forming a government that is competent, that is trustworthy, and which purposefully and steadfastly and methodically sets about delivering on our commitments to you, the Australian people.
"In three years' time, the carbon tax will be gone, the boats will be stopped, the budget will be on track for a believable surplus and the roads of the 21st century will finally be well underway.
"And from today, I declare that Australia is under new management and that Australia is once more open for business."
Key voting data
- With 70 per cent of the vote counted, the ABC predicted the Coalition to win 91 seats and Labor 55
- Labor's primary vote falls 4.6 per cent to 34.0 per cent
- Two-party preferred vote 53.5 to 46.5, a swing of 3.6 per cent to the Coalition
- Labor's losses centre around NSW, Victoria and Tasmania
He noted that "hundreds of thousands" of people had voted for the Coalition for the first time in this election and told them his government "will not let you down".
"A good government is one that governs for all Australians - including those who haven't voted for it," he said.
"A good government is one with a duty to help everyone to maximise his or her potential, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and our forgotten families, as well as those who Menzies described as lifters, not leaners," he said.
"We will not leave anyone behind."
Look back at how Election Day 2013 unfolded on our blog
Coalition claims nationwide swing
With 70 per cent of votes counted, the Coalition has won 53.5 per cent of votes on a two-party preferred basis, a swing of 3.6 per cent in its favour.
The Coalition has claimed the scalp of assistant treasurer David Bradbury, Labor's most senior loss.
He lost his marginal western Sydney seat of Lindsay to Fiona Scott, the candidate Mr Abbott described as having "sex appeal" during the campaign.
Elsewhere in NSW, Coalition candidates look set to win the Labor-held seats of Page, Lindsay and Robertson. The western Sydney seats of Reid and Banks also look set to turn to the Conservatives.
Winners and losers
The change of government has claimed some high-profile scalps and left some surprise survivors. Read a selection of winners and losers.
The Coalition has picked up the Victorian seats of Corangamite, La Trobe and Deakin, and looks set to claim the Tasmanian electorates of Bass, Braddon and Lyons.
And Mr Abbott appears set to welcome to the government benches new MPs for the previously Labor-held seats of Hindmarsh in SA and Lingiari in NT.
In Queensland, the Coalition has failed to win any Labor seats, however former Howard government minister Mal Brough is set to make a comeback after defeating controversial former speaker Peter Slipper.
Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, meanwhile, appears close to claiming the seat of Fairfax in the Lower House.
Elsewhere, former premier Peter Beattie failed in his bid to enter federal politics in Forde, Bob Katter will survive despite seeing his vote collapse in Kennedy, while Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt retained the seat of Melbourne.
But while the Coalition will have a large majority in the Lower House, it looks like minor parties - including the Palmer United Party (PUP) and the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party - will hold the balance of power in the Senate.
In Queensland, former rugby league star and PUP candidate Glenn Lazarus looks on course to take up a position on the crossbench with 60 per cent of the votes counted there, while his party colleague in Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie is on course to join him, with 75 per cent of the vote counted.
In Victoria, WikiLeaks Party founder Julian Assange has failed in his bid for a Senate seat. Micro party, the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party's Ricky Muir, looks likely to claim the sixth Upper House spot with 56 per cent of the vote counted.
Rudd says Labor needs to renew
Kevin Rudd will head to the opposition backbench, saying the Labor Party needs to renew.
"The Australian people, I believe, deserve a fresh start with our leadership. I know this will not be welcome news to some of you," he told supporters.
The former two-time prime minister says he knows "Labor hearts are heavy across the nation tonight".
Video: Kevin Rudd concedes Labor defeat (ABC News)
"And as your PM and as your parliamentary leader of the great Australian Labor Party I accept responsibility."
But he added how proud he was that no Labor cabinet minister had lost their seat and that the ALP had held its ground in Queensland.
Mr Rudd seized back the leadership from Julia Gillard in June, winning key votes in the Caucus ballot from MPs who believed he was their best chance at saving the ALP from a catastrophic defeat.
However, Labor figures have been quick to blame the loss on leadership ructions between Mr Rudd and Ms Gillard, though no-one has yet named the outgoing prime minister by name.
Former frontbencher Greg Combet has pointed to "conniving" figures creating "disunity" within the party, and hinted that retribution will follow Labor's electoral defeat.
Outgoing health minister Tanya Plibersek and Labor luminary Peter Beattie have also criticised the tension, saying it overshadowed important policy achievements.
However, Rudd backers Chris Bowen and Bill Shorten believe the party achieved a better result under him than it would have under Ms Gillard.
What lies ahead for the new PM
While claiming victory, Mr Abbott repeated key campaign pledges to get the budget on track to surplus, scrap the carbon tax and "stop the boats".
They may be challenging promises to fulfil and he will need to show voters swift signs of success in those areas to avoid political damage.
Meet Tony Abbott's team
Tony Abbott made much of the fact he would take a stable team into government, if elected. So who is in Team Abbott?
Mr Abbott believes cutting red and green tape, having a firm fiscal strategy and supporting private enterprise will help reverse what he calls a "budget emergency".
Implementing his border protection policy will directly affect relations with some of Australia's most crucial neighbours, particularly Indonesia.
Mr Abbott's plan involves putting a senior military officer in charge of securing Australia's borders, continued offshore processing, turning boats back when safe to do so and buying boats off people smugglers in Indonesia.
The incoming prime minister characterised the election as a referendum on the carbon tax and has promised to begin work on legislation to repeal it on the first day of government.
However, until mid-2014 the Senate will remain under the control of Labor and the Greens, which have both indicated they would block a move to scrap the carbon tax.
Mr Abbott has left open the option of a double dissolution election if his plan faces opposition in the Senate.
More stories:
- Kevin Rudd concedes defeat and steps down as Labor leader
- Labor retribution begins after poll defeat
- Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer looks set to win Fairfax
- Bandt holds Melbourne with mandate on climate change
- Labor's legacy: Social reforms and leadership spills
- The road ahead for Tony Abbott's Government
- Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd on election result
