Albanese secures second term as Australia’s PM, rejects Trump-style politics

MELBOURNE. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has won a second consecutive three-year term, making him the first leader in 21 years to achieve back-to-back victories, with early results suggesting his center-left Labor Party has expanded its majority in Parliament.

Speaking before a jubilant crowd of supporters in Sydney on Saturday, Albanese emphasized that his administration’s approach diverged sharply from the populist model associated with former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way, looking after each other while building for the future,” Albanese declared in his victory speech.
“We do not need to beg or borrow or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek our inspiration overseas. We find it right here in our values and in our people.”

Labor had previously painted opposition leader Peter Dutton, of the conservative Liberal Party, as a Trump imitator, dubbing him “DOGE-y Dutton”—a reference to both cryptocurrency memes and the controversial U.S. figure. Dutton conceded defeat on election night and acknowledged he had also lost the parliamentary seat he had held for 24 years.

Political analysts pointed to the rejection of Trump-style conservatism as a factor in the Liberal Party’s poor performance. Monash University politics lecturer Zareh Ghazarian commented:

“It is a huge win for Labor and it’s a massive rebuke for the Liberal Party,” although he added that the impact of the “DOGE-y Dutton” label on voter behavior was unclear.

Trump-aligned narratives appeared to have minimal traction with the Australian electorate. The “Trumpet of Patriots” party, backed by mining magnate Clive Palmer and campaigning heavily on Trump-inspired policies, managed to secure only 2% of the vote, despite outspending major parties on advertising.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended congratulations to Albanese on behalf of the Biden administration, saying:

“Australia is a valued ally, partner, and friend of the United States. Our shared values and democratic traditions provide the bedrock for an enduring alliance and for the deep ties between our peoples.”
“The United States looks forward to deepening its relationship with Australia to advance our common interests and promote freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific and globally.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a fellow center-left leader, also congratulated Albanese, saying:

“The U.K. and Australia are as close as ever, which goes to show that long-distance friendships can be the strongest.”

Labor had held 78 seats in the 151-member House of Representatives, and projections suggest that number could rise as vote counting continues. This marks a rare instance in Australian politics, where second-term governments typically lose ground rather than gain it.

Cost of Living, Energy Crisis Dominate Campaign

The campaign focused heavily on economic issues, with both major parties acknowledging the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Foodbank Australia reported last year that 3.4 million households in the country had experienced food insecurity.

While both parties agreed on a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, Dutton advocated for nuclear energy over renewables. Labor countered that this would result in drastic service cuts, with Dutton’s plans including the construction of seven nuclear power plants, despite Australia having no nuclear energy infrastructure.

Opposition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, a key figure in Dutton’s campaign, faced backlash for echoing Trump’s slogan during the campaign, saying her administration would “make Australia great again.” She later claimed she did not recall using the phrase and dismissed the media’s focus on Trump.

“You made it all about Donald Trump,” she told ABC. “We really couldn’t care less about the way Donald Trump is governing for America. We were concerned with the way Australia is being governed under an Albanese government.”

In a sign that financial pressures may be easing, the Reserve Bank of Australia cut its benchmark interest rate to 4.1% in February and is expected to lower it again on May 20 to stimulate investment amid international uncertainty, some of which analysts attribute to Trump’s global tariff policies.

As Albanese moves into his second term with a stronger mandate, his government is expected to continue emphasizing social welfare, climate resilience, and independent policymaking, distinctly removed from foreign populist influences.