Howard Thrown Out!

ALP 84

Liberal 47
Nationals 9
Country Liberal 1

Independent 3

Undecided 9

The ABC computer has Labor taking 86 out of the 150 seats.

Labor has taken 23 seats from the coalition and brought down the Howard government, with the icing on the cake being the likelihood that Howard has lost his own seat.

The routing leaves the Liberal Party depleted at every level of government across the nation - Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman now holds the Liberals' highest public office.

Voters ignored the onslaught of massive coalition fear campaigns "Wall to wall Labor", "Don't hand the country back to the unions", "A vote for a change of government a vote to change the country", "70 percent of Labor's front bench are ex-union officials". In a precision voting pattern relying on Greens preferences voters made clear their desire to rid themselves of Howard and his team of yes and yesterday's men.

For the second time in history a prime minister has lost his seat and for the second time in history the revenge was largely due to the prime minister's hatred of unions and his forcing through of extreme industrial relations laws.

The defeat of Howard is a tribute to the broad community based three year Rights at Work campaign and the working relationship with the Greens and other allies that that campaign resulted in.

ACTU president Sharan Burrow says voters have used the election as a referendum on the industrial relations changes.

She says the Labor win comes after a lengthy campaign by both union and non-union members.

"Right across the country for almost three years in the making, we've now had a community campaign and today you saw that array of orange," she said.

"I'm very proud of all those working men and women out there today standing up for a decent Australia, standing up for a Rudd Labor government that will put rights at work back in place."