{"id":1851610,"date":"2025-05-03T17:34:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/?p=1851610"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:02:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T16:02:24","slug":"australia-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pre.efe.com\/en\/latest-news\/2025-05-03\/australia-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Albanese clinches historic re-election as Labor crushes conservatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Sydney, Australia, May 3 (EFE).\u2014 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured a landmark re-election Saturday as Australia\u2019s Labor Party stormed to a clear majority, delivering a crushing blow to the conservative opposition whose Trump-style tilt failed to sway voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAustralians have chosen a majority Labor government,\u201d an emotional Albanese declared during a triumphant speech in Marrickville, a Labor stronghold west of Sydney, even before half the votes had been counted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn this time of global uncertainty, Australians have chosen optimism and determination. Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way\u2014looking after each other while building for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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With more than 60 percent of ballots tallied, Labor had won 71 seats, while the conservative Liberal-National coalition had secured just 23 in the 150-member House of Representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to projections from public broadcaster ABC, Labor is expected to win 86 seats\u2014well above the 76 needed for an outright majority and improving on the 77 it held previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Liberal-National coalition, meanwhile, is projected to fall to 41 seats, a steep drop from its current 58.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Conservative leader Peter Dutton, a political veteran and former defense minister, lost his seat in Queensland\u2019s Dickson constituency, which he had held since 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scale of Labor\u2019s win exceeded expectations. Pre-election polls had forecast only a slim advantage for the ruling party and suggested the possibility of a minority government or a coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The results also undercut predictions that young voters might turn away from the two-party system, with smaller parties playing a decisive role.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The Greens, for example, are projected to lose the four seats they held previously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Albanese’s campaign focused heavily on the cost-of-living crisis and social equity, and he credited the victory to Australians who wanted a fair job, fair pay for their work, and the right to switch off when they finish work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 62-year-old becomes the first prime minister in more than two decades to secure back-to-back elections, the first since John Howard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His campaign offered tax cuts, electricity bill discounts, and stronger measures on housing affordability, a top concern for young voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trade tensions also loomed large in the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Albanese has pledged to visit the United States as his first foreign trip, aiming to renegotiate tariffs imposed under former US President Donald Trump, including a 10 percent base tariff on imports and 25 percent levies on steel and aluminum. Trump has not spared Australia despite a trade surplus in the US’s favor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts described the opposition\u2019s showing as a \u201cbloodbath,\u201d pointing to a nationwide collapse in support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dutton\u2019s campaign had adopted several Trump-style positions, and while that strategy initially gave him an edge in late 2024 polling, it ultimately backfired amid US trade unpredictability and his campaign missteps.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Voter turnout exceeded 98 percent among the 18 million registered voters in a country where voting is compulsory. Non-voters face a fine of 20 Australian dollars (about $13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to supporters in Brisbane, Dutton accepted \u201cfull responsibility\u201d for the election result, acknowledging that this was \u201can historic occasion\u201d for Labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwenty-four years is a long time in public life, and it has been an amazing honor,\u201d Dutton said, reflecting on losing his own seat in Dickson. \u201cBut I do want to say thank you to the people of Dickson who have placed faith in me over a long period of time, and we\u2019ve had lots of battles and lots of campaigns.\u201d EFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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