Roula Khalaf, the Editor of the Financial Times, curates a selection of her preferred stories in a weekly newsletter known as the Editor’s Digest.
Anthony Albanese has secured a second term as the Prime Minister of Australia, benefiting from a wave of anti-Donald Trump sentiment, despite earlier polls predicting a potential defeat. Initial election results indicated that Albanese is poised to become the first Australian prime minister in over two decades to achieve consecutive victories, and the first Labor leader to do so since Bob Hawke in 1990.
The broadcaster ABC projected a win for Labor early in the vote count, as the opposing Liberal party failed to generate the swing necessary to unseat Labor. Liberal leader Peter Dutton lost his seat in Dickson, Queensland, and conceded the election, acknowledging, “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility,” he stated at the Liberal headquarters.
Labor Party needs 76 seats to form a government, though the exact number of seats it will secure remains unclear. Nevertheless, Labor members in Sydney celebrated enthusiastically as the party moved closer to a majority.
Support for the Liberal party decreased throughout the campaign. Their platform, which included Trump-like policies such as reducing government spending and targeting “woke” agendas, did not resonate with voters who were put off by the former US president’s tariff agenda and assertive foreign policy.
James Patterson, a Liberal senator, acknowledged the impact of Trump on the election, calling it “significant.”
The Australian election followed shortly after Canadian voters returned the Liberal party to power, a move attributed in part to Trump’s intervention. Previously trailing the Conservatives, the Liberals gained favor after Trump disparaged Canada, threatened annexation, and proposed tariffs.
Irene Kontominas, voting in the marginal seat of Fowler in Sydney’s outer west, stated that Trump influenced her support for Labor. She also noted that Dutton failed to provide a compelling reason to oppose Labor. “It’s not enough. It’s better the devil you know,” she remarked.
Albanese began the election day with a live broadcast from Melbourne Cricket Ground, referring to potential consecutive wins as the “holy grail.” He later appeared onstage at a social club in Western Sydney to announce victory.
The election centered around suburban areas of Melbourne and Sydney, where voters, disillusioned by rising costs in housing, electricity, food, and petrol, expressed dissatisfaction with major parties. In Western Sydney, a traditional Labor stronghold hosting 10 percent of the Australian population, the Liberal party aimed to make considerable gains.
Sajedul Hasan, an accountant in Fowler, observed a “massive change” in voter sentiment against Dutton’s proposal to mandate a return to office for remote public sector workers. He also criticized Dutton for being unaware of basic food prices during televised debates, questioning his ability to represent the electorate. “If you don’t know the price of eggs, how can you represent us?” Hasan asked.
