After 12 years, the Social Democrats in Australia return to power. After the general election, incumbent Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted his defeat. He called Labor Party opposition leader Anthony Albanese and congratulated him, Morrison said late in the evening (local time).
The 54-year-old, who has been head of government since 2018, spoke of a “tough night for the liberals”. Labor will return to power for the first time since 2012, according to calculations by the public television channel ABC. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese is set to become the country’s 31st prime minister.
The 59-year-old replaces incumbent Scott Morrison from the right-wing conservative coalition as head of government. Morrison admitted his defeat late on Saturday night (local time) and congratulated Albania on the win.
Changing of the guard already fixed
According to ABC calculations, Labor will be able to form at least one minority government, and it may be enough for a majority government. By the evening, the party had secured 72 seats in the House of Representatives. The majority is 76 seats. According to these figures, the conservative coalition of Liberals and Nationals, which has ruled together since 2013, initially only has 52 seats. You can’t get a majority anymore.
The outcome of the elections was in limbo for a long time. The main reason was the good performance of many independent candidates, who won no fewer than 11 seats, and the Australian Greens (The Greens), who initially won two seats. “This will completely change the political landscape in Australia,” said a commentator on Australian television. It was not clear when the final election results would be available.
The economy and the climate crisis overshadow other topics
The main topics in the election campaign were the economic situation and the climate crisis – especially after the recent devastating floods on the east coast. On the day of the election itself it rained intermittently in Sydney and there were renewed warnings about possible flooding in Queensland.
The country has also suffered for years from severe droughts and devastating wildfires, coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and tree deaths in the rainforests. At the same time, Australia has one of the highest CO2 emissions per capita and is one of the largest coal exporters in the world.
Votes by post not counted yet
About 17 million Australians were called to vote. About half of them reportedly pre-voted either absentee or early voting. Last week, hundreds of polling stations were open to those unable to vote on Election Day. The 2.7 million votes by mail were not counted on Saturday.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
