Moving towards Australia's 47th parliament

THE NUMBERS:

House of Representatives (151 members)

* 23 Liberal National Party of Queensland

* 43 Liberal Party of Australia

* 10 The Nationals

(* 76 in total for coalition government)

* 68 Australian Labor Party

* 1 Australian Greens (Adam Bandt)

* 1 Centre Alliance (Rebekha Sharkie)

* 1 United Australia Party (Craig Kelly)

* 3 independent (Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines)

* 1 Katter's Australian Party (Bob Katter)

WHAT'S HAPPENED ELECTORALLY SINCE 2019?

* Redistribution: WA has lost a seat (Stirling, held by the Liberals) and Victoria has gained a seat (Hawke, which is notionally a Labor gain).

* By-elections: Groom was retained by the LNP. Eden-Monaro was retained by Labor.

* Hughes MP Craig Kelly (elected as a Liberal in 2019) joined Clive Palmer's United Australia Party.

* Labor changed leader from Bill Shorten to Anthony Albanese.

* At state and territory elections, Labor retained government in NT, ACT, Queensland and WA, and the Liberals were returned in Tasmania. Liberals lost government to Labor in SA.

* So-called "teal" independents - running a well-funded campaign on climate change, integrity and women's safety - have gained a high profile across a number of Liberal-held seats.

WHAT'S NEEDED FOR LABOR TO WIN?

Labor holds 68 seats but with the new seat of Hawke starts the election with a notional 69. It needs 76 seats for a majority, a net gain of seven. Given the largely progressive policy platforms of the independents, a tied vote (as occurred in 2010) would likely result in a Labor minority government.

WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THE COALITION TO WIN?

The Liberal-National coalition starts with 75 seats after the axing of the WA electorate of Stirling. It will need a net one-seat gain to be able to retain government.

THE OTHER PARTIES

* The Nationals are widely expected to hold existing seats.

* Clive Palmer's United Australia Party could hold Hughes, but is not expected to gain any other lower house seats.

* The Greens are expected to hold Melbourne but not gain any other lower house seats.

WHAT RECORDS COULD THE ELECTION SET?

* Defeat for Labor will be the fourth successive loss and mean the ALP has won majority government only once in the past 10 elections.

* If Scott Morrison wins, he will be the first incumbent prime minister to win two elections in a row since John Howard in 2004. Rudd, Gillard, Abbott and Turnbull were all removed by their parties.

* A minority parliament would be the first since 2010 and the third since 1943.

TARGET SEATS

Liberals - Hughes, Gilmore, Parramatta, Hunter (NSW), Lyons (Tasmania), Corangamite (Victoria), Lingiari (NT).

Labor - Pearce, Hasluck, Swan (WA), Chisholm and Hawke (Victoria), Bass, Braddon (Tasmania), Brisbane, Longman, Leichhardt and Ryan (Queensland), Boothby (SA), Reid, Bennelong, Robertson (NSW).

Australian Associated Press