Aussie election starts; opposition tipped to win

CANBERRA, Australia: Australia’s ruling Labour Party appears poised for defeat in a national election as an early exit poll shows the conservative opposition party on the way to a sweeping victory.
The change in government is forecast despite an apparent lack of enthusiasm for opposition leader Tony Abbott. He seems on track to guide his Liberal Party-led coalition to a win Saturday over a ruling party marred by infighting.
A Sky News exit poll conducted by Sydney-based market researcher Newspoll showed the coalition was leading Labor 53 percent to 47 percent, and was expected to win 97 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. The results were based on 1,000 interviews with voters in Labor swing seats across New South Wales and Queensland states. It did not give a margin of error.