Left-leaning PM Albanese triumphs in Australian election
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP)— Australia’s left-leaning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese triumphed Saturday in national elections, crushing his conservative rival in a contest swayed by economic upheaval and US President Donald Trump.
Albanese’s slow-but-steady leadership resonated at a time of global tumult, analysts said, with voters deserting hard-nosed opposition leader Peter Dutton in droves.
Not only was Albanese’s Labor Party on track for an unexpectedly large parliamentary majority, but former police officer Dutton endured the rare humiliation of losing his seat.
Projections by national broadcaster ABC pointed to a landslide, with Labor taking 85 seats so far in the 150-member parliament. Dutton’s coalition had 41, other parties nine, and another 15 were in doubt.
“Today the Australian people have voted for Australian values. For fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all,” Albanese told a raucous crowd in his victory speech.
“In this time of global uncertainty, Australians have chosen optimism and determination.”
Elated Labor supporters swigged craft beers emblazoned with Albanese’s face at an election party in Sydney, chanting his “Albo” nickname as results were declared on television.
Albanese has promised to embrace renewable energy, tackle a worsening housing crisis, and pour money into a creaking healthcare system.
Dutton wanted to slash immigration, crack down on crime and ditch a longstanding ban on nuclear power.
Trump cast a shadow over the six-week election campaign, sparking keen global interest in whether his tariff-induced economic chaos would influence the result.
Congratulations for Albanese came from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called Australia a “valued ally, partner, and friend of the United States”.
Sydney politics lecturer Henry Maher told AFP that “in times of instability, we expect people to go back to a kind of steady incumbent”.
Dutton’s policy to slash the public service rankled many as similar cuts, led by billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk, brought chaos in the United States.
His flagship proposal to dot Australia with nuclear reactors was also widely seen as a liability.
“Our government will choose the Australian way,” Albanese said late Saturday.
“We do not need to beg, or borrow, or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek our inspiration from overseas.”
