Abbott, Gillard Vie for Power as Australian Vote Tied
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott vowed to fight to form the next government after neither party gained an outright majority in a national election for the first time in 70 years.
Gillard, 48, and Abbott, 52, will need to broker deals with other lawmakers to pass legislation, threatening a planned 30 percent tax on iron ore and coal profits at companies including BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group. Abbott has vowed to scrap the mining tax, first proposed by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was ousted by Gillard as his popularity slumped.