Anthony Albanese Becomes Australia's First PM to Win Consecutive Three-Year Terms in 21 Years

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Anthony Albanese becomes the first prime minister of Australia to win consecutive three-year terms in 21 years.

Albanese's victory forced opposition leader Peter Dutton to concede defeat in the election on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

"We didn't do well enough in this campaign, it's very clear tonight, and I take full responsibility for that," Dutton said, as quoted by CBS News.

"Earlier, I called the prime minister to congratulate him on his success tonight. This is a historic event for the Labour Party and we acknowledge it," he added.

Projections from the Australian Electoral Commission gave the ruling centre-left Labour Party 70 seats and the conservative opposition coalition 24 seats in the 150-seat lower house. Small parties and independent candidates looked set to win 13 seats.

Respected election analyst from Australian Broadcasting Corp., Antony Green, predicted Labour would win 76 seats, the coalition 36 seats, and the independents 13 seats. Green said Labour would form a majority or minority government and the coalition had no hope of forming a minority government.

Energy and inflation policies have been at the forefront of the campaign, with both sides agreeing that the country is facing a cost of living crisis.

The conservative Liberal Party's Dutton blamed government overspending for triggering inflation and raising interest rates. He pledged to cut more than one in five public service jobs to reduce government expenditure.

Although both said the country should achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Dutton argued that relying more on nuclear power than renewable energy sources like solar and wind turbines would produce cheaper electricity.

Labour, in power on the centre-left, has dubbed the opposition leader "DOGE-y Dutton" and accused his party of emulating US President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Labour argued that Dutton's government would cut services to fund his nuclear ambitions.

"We have seen an attempt to run American-style politics here that divides and pits Australian citizens against each other and I don't think that's the Australian way," Albanese said.

Albanese also noted that his government had repaired relations with China, removing a series of official and unofficial trade barriers that had cost Australian exporters $20 billion a year since Labour came to power in 2022.

The cost of living crisis comes as Australia is facing a generational change

The election took place against the backdrop of what both political parties described as a cost of living crisis.

Foodbank Australia, the country's largest food aid charity, reported that 3.4 million households in the 27-million-strong country experienced food insecurity last year.

That meant Australians were skipping meals, eating less, or worrying about running out of food before they could afford to buy more.

The central bank cut its benchmark cash rate by a quarter point to 4.1% in February as an indication that the worst financial hardship was over.

The rate is widely expected to be cut again at the next bank board meeting on May 20, this time to boost investment amid international economic uncertainty brought on by Trump's import tariff policies.

Both parties' campaigns focused on Australia's demographic shift. The election was the first in Australia where the Baby Boomer generation, born between the end of World War II and 1964, was outnumbered by younger voters.

Both party campaigns promised policies to help first-home buyers purchase property in a market that is too expensive for many.

The election could produce a minority government

Heading into the election, Labour held a slim majority of 78 seats in the 151-seat lower house. There will be 150 seats in the next parliament due to redistribution.

Losing more than two seats could force Labour to try to form a minority government with the support of independent lawmakers.

There was a minority government after the 2010 election, and the last minority government before that occurred during World War II.

The last time no party won a majority, it took 17 days after the polls closed before key independent lawmakers announced they would support the Labour government.

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