Australia state election bodes ill for Abbott government

Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia, addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 25, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Files

PERTH (Reuters) - Australia’s opposition Labor party pulled off a huge electoral turnaround in a key state on Saturday, positioning it to oust the ruling Liberal-National party in a voter backlash that threatens the future of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

With 70 percent of the vote in, the conservative government that has ruled Queensland state with a massive majority was one seat away from losing office after one term.