Australia's Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott celebrates with wife Margie and their daughters at the Liberal Party function in Sydney following his victory in the federal election on September 7, 2013.

By Pesi Fonua

Australia has chosen a new government, with Tony Abbott as its new Prime Minister-elect, after the Parliamentary Election results were announced before 10:00pm yesterday September 7, following the defeat conceded by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The final count of votes was not completed but four hours after voting closed at 6:00pm, with the Liberal-national Coalition leading with a majority of 87 seats to 54 seats for Labor, and one for the Green Party, it was clear that Coalition would return to power for the first time in six years.

The counting of seats in the Upper House, the Senate, had yet to be confirmed, but with Australia’s preferential voting system, there was an expectation that though the Coalition will have a majority in the House of Representatives, it will not have a majority in Senate.

Tony Abbott  (56) has been a leader of the Liberal-National Party coalition since 2009.

The Australian bicameral parliament is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Upper House and the Lower House, - a system described as something between that of the United Kingdom and that of the United States of America.

The election of Representatives to the House of Representatives and the Senate is held every three years, to elect 150 representatives for the House of Representatives and 76 senators for the Senate.

The election of the 150 Representatives and 76 Senators are held in 150 Electoral Divisions or Electorates, six states and two territories throughout Australia.

There are 48 Electoral Divisions in New South Wales: Victoria (37), Queensland (30), Western Australia (15), South Australia (11), Tasmania (5), ACT (2) and Northern Territory (2).

In his victory speech last night, Tony Abbott noted that, “Today, hundreds of thousands of people would have voted for the Liberal and National parties for the first time in their lives - and national parties for the first time in their lives.”

The outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has been Prime Minister of Australia twice, earlier admitted defeat and said he would not stand again for the Labor leadership.

The Governor General of Australia is expected to swear in the new government within the next two weeks.

Outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd