Australia’s centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese basked in a landslide election victory on Sunday, pledging to deliver a “disciplined, orderly” government focused on tackling cost-of-living pressures and trade challenges.
Greeted with applause from locals, the 62-year-old leader visited his old haunt, Café Italia, in inner Sydney alongside his fiancée Jodie Haydon, drawing a crowd of photographers and reporters. In a lighter moment, he scooped ice cream for journalists before heading to a craft brewery that serves “Albo Pale Ale”.
Partial results show Albanese’s Labor Party on track to secure at least 83 of the 150 seats in Parliament. The opposition Liberal-National coalition, led by Peter Dutton, managed just 38 seats, with 12 going to minor parties and 17 still undecided.
“We will be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term,” Albanese said. “We’ll work hard each and every day.”
Dutton, a former police officer with a hardline image—often branded “Trump-lite” by critics—suffered the rare political blow of losing his own seat. He conceded defeat and accepted “full responsibility” for the loss, saying, “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious.”
A victory “one for the ages”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers described the result as “beyond even our most optimistic expectations,” calling it a “history-making night… one for the ages,” but stressed that the government remains humbled by the result.
Analysts cited global economic uncertainty and fallout from U.S. trade policies as contributing factors to the shift in voter sentiment. “In times of instability, we expect people to gravitate toward a steady incumbent,” said Henry Maher, a politics lecturer at the University of Sydney.
Albanese has pledged to invest in renewable energy, lower taxes, address the housing crisis, and improve Australia’s overstretched healthcare system. In contrast, Dutton campaigned on cutting immigration, ramping up law enforcement, and lifting the ban on nuclear power.
Cost of living key voter concern
Economic pressures were front and centre throughout the campaign. “The cost of living—it’s extremely high at the moment… petrol prices, all the basics,” said Robyn Knox, a human resources manager in Brisbane.
Despite a generally low-key campaign, there were moments of levity: Albanese once fell off a stage at a rally, and Dutton accidentally injured a cameraman with a misfired football.
Global reactions and diplomatic outreach
World leaders were quick to congratulate Albanese. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he looked forward to deepening ties with Australia to promote “freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific.” A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing was “ready to work” with the new government.
Albanese confirmed he had spoken with the prime ministers of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and received congratulatory messages from leaders in France, the UK, and elsewhere. He also reaffirmed Australia’s support for Ukraine, stating: “That’s my government’s position. It was yesterday. It still is.”
AFP
