Australia’s Albanese Claims Election Victory, Riding Anti-Trump Wave
Australia’s Anthony Albanese claimed a historic second term as prime minister 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 days earlier were also attributed to a Trump backlash.
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,” Albanese told supporters, Reuters reported.
“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 would be the first Australian prime minister to win a consecutive term in two decades. He said Australians had voted for fairness and “the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need”.
