Laboratory party from Premier Anthony Albanese wins

Parliamentary elections in Australia

Labor-party party is landslike

A tight race emerged in surveys. But it should come differently: the Australian laboratory party clearly gains the parliamentary elections, conservatives drive in a historical flap.

Australia’s Social Democratic Laboratory Party has further expanded their overwhelming victory in the parliamentary election: Although not all votes are still counted, the party of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already come to almost 90 seats in the 150-member lower house. Only 76 mandates were necessary for the absolute majority.

The conservative coalition of liberal and national, on the other hand, experienced a devastating slump: according to the calculations, it has so far only been 37 seats. Other small parties and independent candidates have received twelve seats so far. Twelve more seats were still to be awarded in the morning.

Albanese’s challenger Peter Dutton surprisingly lost his own seat in Dickson in Queensland, which he has held for more than 20 years. In the country, speculation has already broken about who will succeed the Liberal Party as party leader.

Albanese – called “Albo” for short – has now been the first head of government for more than 20 years to take a second term. “Thank you, Australia,” wrote the 62-year-old on the X. Australia platform had decided on optimism and determination at a time of global uncertainty, he had emphasized on Saturday evening (local time) in front of cheering followers.

Australia chose optimism and determination at a time of global uncertainty, says Albanese with thunderous applause. “It means so much that people in Australia have again put their confidence in the laboratory party in these uncertain times.”

The laboratory party came back to power in 2022 after nine years of government of the Liberal national alliance. Topics in the election campaign were above all the high inflation, the high rental and real estate prices as well as the customs policy of US President Donald Trump.

Former Minister of Interior and Defense Dutton had got into the election campaign for controversial statements and his obvious proximity to the policy of US President Trump.

“We didn’t do a good election campaign, this is obvious tonight,” said Dutton in front of party members. “I take full responsibility for this.” He congratulated Albanese on the phone. “This is a historical moment for the laboratory party, and we recognize that,” he emphasized.

Australian media moved parallels to Canada, where the conservatives had also lost the election a few days ago for similar reasons. Among other things, Dutton had announced that it would relieve more than 40,000 state employees and ban mobile work for public employees. Later he moved away from these positions because of increasing criticism.

“The parallels between the two countries, both close allies of the United States, are unmistakable,” wrote the newspaper “Sydney Morning Herald”. “Trump’s radicals and frightening return to office in many ways has breathed new life into the center-left parties and developed into a explosive charge for conservative politicians.”

A total of 18 million people were entitled to vote. In Down Under there is an obligation to vote. According to the election commission, more than eight million Australians had already voted in advance by either postal voting or early voting. The central election campaign topic was the high cost of living.