CANBERRA: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has secured a second term after leading Australia’s centre-left Labor Party to a landslide victory in Saturday’s federal election.
Projections from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) show Labor on track to win at least 87 of the 150 seats in the lower house — its best result in history — surpassing the previous record of 86 seats in 1986.
Albanese becomes the first leader from a major party to win back-to-back elections since 2004.
“This is the greatest honour of my life,” he told supporters in Sydney. “Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way — looking after each other while building for the future.”
The re-elected leader pledged to govern “for all Australians” and promised to spend “every day” of the next term repaying voters’ trust.
As of 10.45pm local time, Labor led the conservative Coalition 56.4 per cent to 43.6 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Voters swung toward Labor across the country, including in Brisbane’s north where opposition leader Peter Dutton lost his long-held Dickson seat — a first in Australian political history.
The Coalition is projected to secure at least 39 seats, with 12 going to minor parties or independents and another 12 still undecided.
In a concession speech in Brisbane, Dutton said he had called Albanese to concede defeat and accepted full responsibility for the Coalition’s poor showing.
His loss means the Liberal Party will need to appoint a new opposition leader.
Saturday’s election saw over 7,000 polling stations open nationwide. Voting is compulsory in Australia, with citizens filling out two ballots — one for the House of Representatives and Senate.