Australia’s prime minister claimed a historic victory Saturday in a second-term win fueled by voters’ concerns about President Donald Trump.
“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 after his victory. “We do not need to 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.”
Anthony Albanese came out on top despite polling at record lows in January and the encroachment of conservative leaders like Peter Dutton, who conceded defeat after losing his seat of 24 years. He is the first Australian prime minister to win consecutive terms in two decades.
Albanese’s triumphant comeback came only days after Canada’s liberal party also emerged victorious riding a similar wave of anti-Trump fervor.
“We have been defined by our opponents in this election, which is not the true story of who we are,” Dutton said in a speech conceding the election.
He apologized to his members of parliament and accepted “full responsibility” for the loss, promising his party would rebuild.
Amid harsh “reciprocal” tariffs and a globally unstable economy, voters worldwide have begun to mobilize against Trump.
In Australia, Dutton claimed during the election that he would appoint politician Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to a ministry of government efficiency, bizarrely similar to Tesla billionaire Elon Musk’s role at the Department of Government Efficiency in the United States.
Price, who promised that her party would “make Australia great again,” faced the repercussions of her MAGA likeness when her party suffered a record defeat.
A spokesperson from the conservative party defended the campaign, saying the “Trump factor” had unfairly burdened its chances.
Albanese, who defied the country’s “incumbency curse” to win in the landslide, said that voters chose “fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all; for the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need.”
Trump also loomed large over the Canadian election after the commander-in-chief threatened to make our northern neighbor the 51st state. His fixation on annexing our ally, harsh tariff threats, and bizarre criticisms of the country inadvertently prompted the revival of Canada’s left-wing party. Canadians voted against Trump, and the results of their April 28 election confirmed that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would remain in office.
