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 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.
“Today the Australian people have voted for Australian values. For fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all,” Labor leader Albanese told a raucous crowd in his victory speech.
“In this time of global uncertainty, Australians have chosen optimism and determination,” he added.
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 TV.
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.
US President Trump cast a long shadow over the six-week election campaign, sparking keen global interest in whether his tariff-induced economic chaos would influence the result.
“In times of instability, we expect people to go back to a kind of steady incumbent,” University of Sydney politics lecturer Henry Maher told AFP.
Dutton’s policy to slash the public service rankled many as similar cuts, led by Elon Musk, brought chaos in the United States.
His flagship proposal to dot the country with nuclear reactors was also widely seen as a liability.
“Our government will choose the Australian way,” Albanese said on Saturday night.
“We do not need to beg, or borrow, or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek our inspiration from overseas.”
"Mad as a cut snake"
Hungry voters munched on barbecued “democracy sausages” after casting their ballot -- a polling day rite of passage -- while others in bright swimwear crammed into voting booths after taking an early morning plunge.
Before the first vote was even counted, speculation was already mounting over whether Dutton could survive an election loss.
“We didn’t do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious tonight and I accept full responsibility,” Dutton told supporters in a concession speech.
Some pre-vote polls showed Dutton leaking support because of Trump, who he praised this year as a “big thinker” with “gravitas” on the global stage.
“I mean, Donald Trump is as mad as a cut snake, and we all know that,” said voter Alan Whitman, 59, before casting his ballot on Saturday.
“And we’ve got to tiptoe around that.”
Voting is compulsory, enforced with fines of Aus$20 (US$13), leading to turnouts that top 90%.
