Lambie in new corps of Apple Isle senators

The Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed Tasmanian independent Jacqui Lambie will be returning to the Senate.

ELECTION19 JACQUI LAMBIE

The electoral commission has confirmed independent Jacqui Lambie will return to the Senate. (AAP)

Jacqui Lambie can uncross her fingers.

The electoral commission confirmed on Thursday the independent will return to the Senate more than 19 months after she quit federal parliament upon discovering she was a dual citizen.

"I've been keeping my fingers crossed and the count has been looking positive for us since election night, but I have been careful to keep a lid on things until the result was official," the incoming Tasmanian senator said in a statement on Thursday.

The new parliament will sit for the first time on July 2 and Ms Lambie anticipates a whirlwind effort before then to get her office back up and running.

"I'm expecting the government to start sending bills to the Senate immediately, so I'll be focusing my energy on making sure that they don't try to slip something dodgy through during the transition period," she said.

Tasmania's Senate result was finalised on Thursday and the result will be formally declared on Friday.

The state also elected Liberals Richard Colbeck and Claire Chandler, Labor's Carol Brown and Catryna Bilyk, and Green senator Nick McKim.

The sole newcomer is 28-year-old Ms Chandler, who is aiming to reach out to a new generation of voters.

Labor senator Lisa Singh, who successfully campaigned for a below-the-line vote in 2016, did not hold onto her seat.

"I am going to take some time to reflect on what the next chapter of my life looks like," she said in a statement.

"However, I will leave the Senate content that I have done my best."

Senator McKim said it was a tremendous shame to see her lose.

"Labor essentially kicked her out of parliament for being too progressive," the Green senator wrote on Twitter, referring to the major party's decision to put Senator Singh in an unwinnable spot on its ticket.

Results for the ACT are expected to be declared on Friday and other states will follow shortly.

The new Senate is likely to comprise 35 coalition members, 26 Labor, nine Greens, two One Nation, two Centre Alliance, one Australian Conservatives and Senator Lambie.

In the lower house, the winners in all but three seats have been formally declared as counting nears completion following the May 18 federal election.

The Australian Electoral Commission has so far formally declared the results in 148 out of 151 seats.

The seats of Sydney, Capricornia and Mallee are due to be declared within days.

The AEC cannot officially declare a result until it is mathematically impossible for the margin to be overtaken.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to govern with 77 seats to Labor's 68, with six MPs on the crossbench - one Green, one Centre Alliance, Bob Katter and three independents.


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Source: AAP



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