Election Losses Rattle an Already Skittish Australian Government

Results didn’t go Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s way, sapping speculation he could call an early national election

SYDNEY—Defeats in a clutch of weekend ballots risk aggravating internal party divisions over Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership, forcing him to review his center-right bloc’s election strategy.

Mr. Turnbull is seeking to become the first Australian leader in more than a decade to navigate a three-year term of government without being unseated by party rivals.

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