Australian voters have handed incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party a decisive second term, securing at least 85 seats in the nation’s 150-member House of Representatives. Albanese’s victory on Saturday marks the first time since 2004 that an Australian prime minister has won consecutive terms. His campaign emphasized Australian values and a commitment to unity in the face of foreign threats – including a 10% tariff on exports imposed by US President Donald Trump midway through the campaign.
In contrast, the Conservatives ran a Trump-style campaign marked by culture war rhetoric on Indigenous issues and a controversial nuclear energy proposal, which failed to resonate with suburban and moderate voters. Branded “DOGE-y Dutton” over his intent to cut the public service, leader Peter Dutton also lost his own seat in Dickson, Queensland, which he had held for 24 years. Dutton had openly embraced Trump, calling him a “big thinker” after the US President announced his intentions to take over Gaza in February.
Start of a trend? Australia’s outcome mirrors Canada’s recent election result, which saw Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre lose to the governing Liberals under newly elected leader Mark Carney. Poilievre was also similarly defeated in the seat he had held for 20 years, and many Conservatives blamed “Trump mimicry” by the party’s campaign as a major factor.
