Voters ended nine years of conservative rule in Australia’s national elections today. They ousted Prime Minister Scott Morrison in favor of the left-leaning Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, who has campaigned on promises to impose new restrictions on energy use to fight climate change. The Labor Party also campaigned on improving free healthcare and advocating for the LGBT community. Labor leader Albanese credits his left-leaning politics with being raised by a single mother on disability in public housing.
The Labor Party actually received fewer popular votes than the ruling conservatives — 33% versus 35% — but has won more seats.
Incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat for the conservative-leaning Liberal-National Coalition that he has led since 2018.
The Labor Party has won at least 71 of the 76 seats needed to form a government, compared to only 52 for the conservative-leaning Liberal-National Coalition. Three seats were won by the leftist Green Party. 13 seats are still too close to call, but Labor is leading in a majority of them, and even if it somehow didn’t get 76 seats on its own after all votes were counted, it could form a coalition government with smaller parties (like the Greens) or independents.
