Australians opt for steady PM Albanese in flight to safety from Trump woes

Ruling Labor Party sharply increases its House majority after May 3 election

- Jonathan Pearlman

SYDNEY - Mr Anthony Albanese's spectacular win in Australia's election on May 3 has redrawn the nation's electoral map as voters opted for stability in the face of Mr Donald Trump's disruptive global leadership.

Just five days after Mr Mark Carney's Liberal Party retained government in Canada, Mr Albanese led Australia's ruling Labor Party to a historic victory. He is the first Australian leader to win a successive three-year term since Mr John Howard in 2004.

With 77 per cent of the vote counted as at May 4, Labor is on track to defeat the Liberal-National Coalition by 55 per cent to 45 per cent, compared with 52 to 48 per cent at the last election in 2022.

This bucks the historical trend of Australia's first-term governments, which typically win a second term but with fewer votes and seats as their honeymoon period ends.

Labor has dramatically increased its majority and has already secured 86 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives - where a majority is required to form government - with 13 seats still too close to call. The Coalition has won 39 seats, while independents and minor parties have won 12 seats.

The ruling centre-left party was on track to lose the election in Australia - until the inauguration of Mr Trump in January.

But Mr Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Australia, one of the US' closest allies, and the doubts he has cast about traditional US relationships, appeared to have prompted voters in Australia to avoid change and shun centre-right leaders who had adopted Trump-style policies.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who had proposed cutting the public service and limiting work-from-home for public servants, suffered a humiliating defeat in his own seat.