PM Albanese stages dramatic comeback in campaign dominated by cost-of-living and Trump concerns
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses a Labor party election night event, after local media projected the Labor victory, in Sydney on May 3. (Photo: Reuters)
SYDNEY – Anthony Albanese claimed a historic second term as prime minister of Australia on Saturday, in a dramatic comeback against once-resurgent conservatives that was powered by voters’ concerns about the influence of US President Donald Trump.
Peter Dutton, leader of the conservative Liberal party, conceded defeat and the loss of his own seat — echoing the fate of Canada’s conservatives and their leader whose election losses just days earlier were also attributed to a Trump backlash.
Albanese will enter his second term as a Labor hero after leading his party to successive victories — and with an expanded majority. He is the first Australian leader in 21 years to win back-to-back elections.
Australian Broadcasting Corp was projecting at 10.05pm Sydney time that the Labor government would win at least 86 seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives, versus 77 in the previous term.
Supporters at Labor’s election party in Sydney cheered and hugged each other as Albanese claimed victory and said his party would form a majority government.
“Our government will choose the Australian way, because we are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country,” he told supporters.
“We do not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek our inspiration from overseas. We find it right here in our values and in our people,” he added.
Albanese said Australians had voted for fairness and “the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need”.
Dutton — whose Liberals had been leading in opinion polls as recently as February until he became burdened with comparisons to Trump — said he had phoned Albanese
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