Australian prime minister could be decided by Queen's representative

THE QUEEN RULES ...

[link to www.telegraph.co.uk]

Polictical analyists have warned that it could take as long as three months for either of the two parties to form a government.

If they cannot, then Quentin Bryce, the Governor-General, may have to intervene to resolve the impasse and ask either Julia Gillard, the current Prime Minister and leader of the Labor party, or Tony Abbott, the leader of the Liberal party, to form a government.

Such a move would be particularly embarrassing for Ms Gillard, a staunch republican who, during her election campaign, said that the Queen should be the last monarch to rule over Australia.

The weekend's 14 million votes have evenly divided between the Labor Party, which has won 73 seats, and the Liberal party, which has 72 seats, with the prospect of one other, the fate of the Australian Parliament now rests in the hands of three Independent MPs.