{"id":31222,"date":"2025-05-09T08:19:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T12:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=31222"},"modified":"2025-05-09T20:27:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T00:27:08","slug":"australias-albanese-in-landslide-election-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=31222","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Albanese In Landslide Election Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Anthony Albanese (VCG)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Australia has re-elected Anthony Albanese as Prime Minister, making history in the process and defying polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
By PETER KELLY
Connecting with election campaigners within Australia<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In an astonishing result, the left-leaning Australian Labor Party (ALP) confounded expectations that months ago put it on a course for defeat. Instead, its right-wing rivals in the Liberal Party suffered losses including their party leader\u2019s own MP seat in Queensland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inner-city Sydney MP Mr Albanese, casually known as \u2018Albo\u2019, is the first Australian prime minister to win a second term since 2004. His Labor party was returned to power with an increased majority of 15 seats to total 87 MPs in the 150-member parliament in Canberra, surpassing the 76 required to form government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brought up by a single mother on a disability pension in social housing in inner city Sydney, Albanese\u2019s Labor campaign focused on issues around healthcare, free education, home ownership and taxpayer tax cuts. He told victorious supporters, \u201cToday, the Australian people have voted for Australian values: for fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all; for the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition leader Peter Dutton received criticism for his right wing party\u2019s incoherent campaign, and said he \u201ctook full responsibility\u201d for the loss which saw him lose his MP seat of 24 years in the Brisbane suburbs. Dutton acknowledged the huge loss the Coalition had faced, saying: \u201cOur Liberal family is hurting across the country tonight, including in my electorate of Dickson\u2026 We\u2019ll rebuild from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former police officer had attracted extra criticism as \u2018Australia\u2019s Trump\u2019 with a mirroring of the policies of the US president. Dutton had proposed a unit similar to America\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency, which some analysts warned would lead to up to 40,000 local civil service job losses. A senior colleague in the party was pictured wearing a \u2018Make Australia Great Again\u2019 hat, drawing more unpopular comparisons with the US administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin took to social media in Dublin to acknowledge the election outcome. He said, \u201cCongratulations PM Anthony Albanese on your election victory. The bonds between Ireland and Australia are as strong as ever.\u201d And he added, \u201cI look forward to working with you on deepening those ties and addressing challenges facing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, Irish-born Australians have supported the Australian Labor Party which maintains links with its sister parties in Dublin and London. However, Dublin-born Keith Wolahan is a prominent Liberal Party MP in Melbourne and a would-be successor to Mr Dutton. Consequently, Mr Wolahan was also a casualty of his party\u2019s electoral drubbing, losing the seat to Labor for the first time last Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Albanese has Irish heritage through his late mother, Maryanne Ellery. He visited Ireland for a wedding in 2005 and speculation centers around whether the Irish government will invite the new Prime Minister for a state visit, mirroring that of President Mary McAleese to Australia in 2003. Former Prime Minister and party colleague of Anthony Albanese, Kevin Rudd is now the Australian Ambassador to the United States in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking exclusively to this correspondent from Tasmania, ALP grassroots campaigner and trade union organizer Scott Plimpton explained the relief in the Labor Party\u2019s victory. The former ALP Abroad activist in London said, \u201cThe strength of Labor in election campaigns is the sheer amount of volunteers we can deploy. The Liberals instead did dodgy deals\u2026to get assistance in the field. Tasmania has now gone from two MPs to four out of five seats under Labor. The Liberals have been wiped off the map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>