Anthony Albanese has secured a resounding victory in Australia’s federal election, becoming the first prime minister since John Howard to win back-to-back elections, and the first Labour leader to do so since Bob Hawke in the 1980s.
With 63% of votes counted, Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party is on track to expand its majority in the House of Representatives, currently holding 85 seats. In stark contrast, the opposition Liberal-National Coalition has suffered a bruising defeat, winning just 41 seats and losing its leader, Peter Dutton, who was unseated in his own electorate of Dickson.
In his concession speech, Dutton acknowledged the scale of the loss. “We didn’t do well enough,” he said simply, as party officials absorbed the shock of their worst performance in over a decade.
Albanese, speaking to jubilant supporters in Sydney, pledged to honor the trust Australians had placed in him. “We will not take your confidence for granted,” he said. “These are uncertain times, and we must govern with clarity, compassion, and unity.”
The dominant theme of the campaign was uncertainty — from the soaring cost of living and an overstretched healthcare system to mounting anxiety over the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency in the U.S. According to the BBC’s Australia correspondent, Albanese’s ability to present himself as “a safer pair of hands” in a volatile global environment was the gamechanger.
Voters appeared to favor continuity and stability over the risks of political upheaval. That preference not only crushed the Coalition’s hopes of returning to power, but also weakened the Greens, who have been reduced from four MPs to just one amid Labor’s widespread gains.
The result breaks what had come to be known as Australia’s “incumbency curse,” a pattern in which every prime minister since 2004 had failed to win a second term. Albanese’s success signals a shift in political sentiment — and a rare endorsement of steady leadership during volatile times.
Key issues that dominated the campaign trail included unaffordable housing, inflation, healthcare strains, and foreign policy — especially concerns around Australia’s role on the global stage as geopolitical tensions grow.
As vote counting continues, attention will now turn to how Albanese will use his expanded mandate to address domestic pressures while navigating Australia’s position in an increasingly uncertain world.
Follow us on:
