Anthony Albanese has become the first Australian prime minister to win a second consecutive three-year term in 21 years.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton conceded defeat in Saturday’s election, saying “We didn’t do well enough during this campaign, that much is obvious tonight, and I accept full responsibility for that”.
In the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower house where parties require a majority to form governments, the conservative opposition alliance received 24 seats and the ruling center-left Labour Party 70 seats, according to early estimates from the Australian Electoral Commission.
Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton are set to address party gatherings in Sydney and Brisbane later on Saturday.
Mr Dutton’s conservative Liberal Party blames government waste for fuelling inflation and increasing interest rates, and has pledged to axe more than one in five public service jobs to reduce government spending.
While both say the country should reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Mr Dutton argues that relying on more nuclear power instead of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind turbines would deliver less expensive electricity.
Labour has branded the opposition leader “Doge-y Dutton” and accused his party of mimicking US President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency.
Labour argues Mr Dutton’s administration would slash services to pay for its nuclear ambitions.
He also noted that his government had improved relations with China, which removed a series of official and unofficial trade barriers that had cost Australian exporters 20 billion Australian dollars a year since Labour came to power in 2022.
