Labor Party Wins Australia's Elections, Prime Minister Albanese Set To Return For Second Term

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to return as the Prime Minister for a second term after his Labor Party won the general elections on Saturday.

The Australian Electoral Commission's early projections gave the ruling centre-left-leaning party 70 seats and 24 seats to the conservative Liberal Party headed by Peter Dutton in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form governments.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed his supporters in Sydney after the declaration of election results, to celebrate the party's victory. 

Albanese's First Speech After Landslide Victory

In his first speech after the historic victory, Albanese said, “In this time of global uncertainty, Australians have chosen optimism and determination."

“Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way – looking after each other while building for the future,” he added.

“Serving as your prime minister is the greatest honour of my life,” Albanese told supporters.

He expressed his gratitude towards them saying, “And it is with a deep sense of humility and a profound sense of responsibility that the first thing that I do tonight is to say thank you to the people of Australia for the chance to continue to serve the best nation on Earth, and I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we stand."

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has also addressed his supporters and has taken “full responsibility” for his defeat. He told them he had called Albanese to congratulate him on his victory in the election.

Liberal Party's Dutton has lost his own seat, Dickson, in Brisbane to Labor Party's Ali France. 

Albanese will be the first Australian prime minister to return to office, in two decades. Former Prime Minister John Howard, a liberal leader, had achieved this feat 21 years ago.

Albanese's victory comes amid Donald Trump 's tariff hike making political analysts curious to know if voters would accept or reject Albanese's handling of the change in the economic situation.

Albanese had severely criticized Trump's tariffs and said they are harmful for global economy.

Focusing on rising inflation and cost of living as major issues for Australians in his election campaign, Albanese promised better life for individuals and to improve the healthcare system.

His center-left Labor Party also differed sharply with the conservative Liberal Party on energy and achieving a shared commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While Labor Party is in favour of replacing fossil fuel-fired electricity generators with renewable energy sources, the conservatives prefer to build nuclear reactors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Congratulates Albanese

“Congratulations @AlboMP on your resounding victory and re-election as Prime Minister of Australia! This emphatic mandate indicates the enduring faith of the Australian people in your leadership. I look forward to working together to further deepen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” said PM Modi on his post on ‘X’.