Australia PM Anthony Albanese’s Left-Leaning Government Wins Election: Anthony Albanese is set to return as Australia’s Prime Minister after securing a historic second term in a sweeping federal election victory on Saturday — the first leader to do so in last two decades. The Labor leader’s win marks a striking comeback against the once-resurgent Liberal-National Coalition, powered in part by voter concerns over the growing influence of US President Donald Trump on conservative politics. Echoing recent election losses for Canada's right-leaning parties, the backlash proved decisive in Australia, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton not only conceding defeat but also losing his own marginal Brisbane seat of Dickson to Labor’s Ali France. “Today, the Australian people have voted for Australian values — for fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all,” Albanese told cheering supporters at Sydney’s Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club. “Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way, looking after each other while building for the future.” As of 10pm local time, the ABC projected Labor to win at least 86 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives — a clear and expanded majority — with the Coalition trailing on 39 and 16 seats still undecided. Taking onus for the LNC's loss, Dutton admitted to reporters in Brisbane, "We did not do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious tonight and I accept full responsibility for that." Despite the results, Dutton offered encouragement to colleagues who faced defeats, saying: “We will rebuild from here, and we will do that because we know our values, we know our beliefs, and we will always stick to them. “We have been defined by our opponents in this election, which is not a true story of who we are,” he added. Dutton confirmed he had called Albanese to concede defeat and said he told the prime minister that his late mother Maryanne would be proud of him. “Earlier on, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. It's an historic occasion for the Labour Party and we recognise that,” he added. According to reports, no federal opposition leader has ever lost their seat at an election. As per The Guardian, the election delivered significant gains for Labor across the country, including in Queensland — traditionally a Coalition stronghold — where the government was projected to win seats such as Bonner, Leichhardt, Petrie, and Forde. In Victoria, where a backlash had been feared, Labor was on track to win Menzies and take Sukkar’s seat of Deakin, defying expectations, The Guardian report stated. The LNC, once ahead in the polls, suffered a collapse in support amid policy confusion, voter concerns about nuclear energy proposals, and damaging comparisons between Dutton and US president Donald Trump. Labor also capitalised on voter anxiety over Medicare, warning of a supposed plan by the LNC to gut the scheme. 62-year-old Albanese has served as Australia’s prime minister since 2022 and has represented the New South Wales division of Grayndler for more than 30 years.
