In Australia’s parliamentary election, the social democratic Labor Party led by Premier Anthony Albanese secured a clear majority. Albanese, who has been the head of government since 2022, can now pursue a second term after previously lagging in polls for months. Based on initial numbers, Labor was able to significantly increase its previous narrow majority of two seats in the House of Representatives, with commentators referring to it as an “avalanche victory.” In his victory speech, Albanese emphasized the importance of building national unity on the foundations of fairness, equality and respect.
The conservative opposition leader, Peter Dutton, admitted defeat both in the national election and in his own constituency and announced that his “Liberals” must now reposition themselves.
The campaign was dominated by social issues such as rising living costs and housing, but recently also the handling of the new customs policy of US President Donald Trump. Trump’s policy was believed to have cost the conservatives some votes in the final stages. Dutton had been accused of being too close to the US President. Many observers believe that Trump, similar to the recent Canadian election, helped the left-wing side to turn the tide.