In Melbourne, Anthony Albanese’s re-election as Australia’s Prime Minister was met with acclaim at a bustling Sydney café. He remarked that Australians chose harmony over discord as his center-left Labor Party secured a dominant win in Saturday’s elections. Despite votes still being counted, the Labor government is on track to claim at least 85 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. This achievement marks a significant gain from the previous 78 seats held, an uncommon feat for Australian governments in their second terms.
Albanese addressed a crowd in Leichhardt, Sydney alongside his fiancée, Jodie Haydon, and stated, “The Australian people voted for unity rather than division.” He also emphasized the party’s commitment to orderly governance in the new term, mirroring the discipline displayed during their first.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers, overseeing economic policies, interpreted the election success as a desire for steadiness after global economic disruptions caused by U.S. policies under former President Donald Trump. Chalmers explained, “This was beyond even our most optimistic expectations. We know this second term has been given to us by the Australian people because they want stability in uncertain times.”
Australia’s political climate mirrored Canada’s recent electoral dynamics, as the conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton lost his seat and his political alliance shrank to 37 seats. This echoed the Canadian experience where opposition leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat following economic tensions initiated by Trump.
Senior Australian politicians had expressed concerns about potentially being ousted after the first term since the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. Similar to the Canadian government, Australia’s ruling party highlighted connections between opposition narratives and Trump’s administration, including ties to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Throughout the election, Australia faced steep tariffs on exports to the U.S., further complicating trade relations.
The opposition leader was dubbed “DOGE-y Dutton,” with warnings from Labor that his government might cut public services for the sake of nuclear energy projects. Labor criticized Dutton for not campaigning at proposed nuclear sites, underlining the unpopularity of nuclear power in Australia, where it is not yet utilized. Additionally, Labor accused Dutton of stirring cultural tensions, contrasting his solitary use of the national flag against Albanese’s dual display of the national and Indigenous flags.
Indigenous Australians represent 4% of the population and remain the nation’s most disadvantaged group. Despite the U.S. tariffs’ moderate impact on Australia, Chalmers acknowledged the broader global economic risks, particularly U.S.-China tensions, although he asserted Australia’s preparedness to handle such challenges.
Albanese becomes the first prime minister to secure consecutive election victories since John Howard in 2004, whose 11-year term ended amid the loss of his seat and political upheaval leading to a rapid turnover of Australian leaders.
Upon his victory, Albanese was first congratulated by PNG Prime Minister James Marape. “He’s a very good friend,” Albanese said, joking about the early morning call. The Australian leader also connected with New Zealand’s Christopher Luxon and received messages from global figures like the UK’s Kier Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron, with plans to speak to Indonesia’s and Ukraine’s leaders.