Australia's new government prepared to take control of the nation on Sunday, with Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott vowing to scrap a hated tax on carbon polluters and implement a controversial plan to stop asylum seekers from reaching the nation's shores.

Abbott met with bureaucrats to go over his border security plans and said his first priority would be to repeal the unpopular carbon tax on Australia's biggest industrial polluters.

Abbott's conservative Liberal party-led coalition won a crushing victory in elections on Saturday against the center-left Labor Party, which had ruled for six years, including during the turbulent global financial crisis. Labor was ultimately doomed by years of party instability and bickering, and by its decision to renege on an election promise by implementing the carbon tax, which many Australians blame for steep increases in their power bills.

The Australian Electoral Commission's latest count on Sunday had the coalition likely to win a clear majority of 86 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Labor appeared likely to secure 57.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday extended congratulations to Abbott.

Li said in his congratulatory message that China and Australia, as two important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, shared broad common interests. Following a strategic and long-term perspective, China is ready to work with Australia to push forward their strategic partnership on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefits, Li said.

AP-Xinhua

(China Daily 09/09/2013 page11)