SYDNEY
\nAustralia\u2019s Labor government will prioritize dealing with the \u201cdark shadow\u201d of the US-China trade war following its resounding re-election victory, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday, after a campaign that highlighted concerns over US trade policy and the global economy.
\nLabour Party leader Anthony Albanese, Australia\u2019s first prime minister to win a second consecutive term in two decades, promised in remarks on Sunday that he would run a disciplined and orderly government, stressing that Australians had voted for unity.
\nThe center-left Labour Party appeared likely to expand its majority in parliament to at least 86 seats from 77, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. projected, after most polls had suggested it would struggle to keep its slim hold on the 150-seat lower house. About three-quarters of votes have been tallied, with counting to resume on Monday.
\nEchoing an election in Canada less than a week earlier, Australia\u2019s conservative opposition leader, Peter Dutton, lost his seat as voters, who initially focused on cost-of-living pressures, grew increasingly concerned over US President Donald Trump\u2019s sweeping tariffs and other policies.
\n\u201cWe will be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term, just like we have been in our first,\u201d Albanese told reporters while visiting a coffee shop in his Sydney electorate where he said his late mother took him as a child.
\n\u201cThe Australian people voted for unity rather than division,\u201d Albanese added in brief public comments.
\nPolls had shown Labor trailing the opposition conservative coalition for nine months until March, amid widespread angst about the government\u2019s handling of inflation.
\nBut the polls flipped when the conservatives unveiled a proposal to slash the federal workforce, which was compared to the Trump administration\u2019s moves to cut back government agencies. A proposal to force federal workers back to the office five days a week was also criticized as unfair to women.
\nTrump\u2019s April 2 tariff announcement added to voters\u2019 unease as it sent shockwaves through global markets and raised concerns about the impact on their pension funds. \u201cThe immediate focus is on global economic uncertainty, US and China, and what it means for us,\u201d Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening, particularly between the US and China, does cast a dark shadow over the global economy … We need to have the ability, and we will have the ability, to manage that uncertainty.\u201d
\nRepresentatives of the US and China joined leaders from around the world congratulating Albanese and his party.
\nThe US \u201clooks forward to deepening its relationship with Australia to advance our common interests and promote freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific and globally,\u201d Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
\nA spokesperson for China\u2019s foreign ministry said the country \u201cstands ready to work with the new Australian government (to) continue advancing a more mature, stable, and productive comprehensive strategic partnership.\u201d
\nSenior figures in Australia\u2019s conservative coalition meanwhile began apportioning blame for the loss as it begins the search for a new leader.
\nMark Speakman, leader of the coalition\u2019s main Liberal party for the state of New South Wales, said the party needed to connect its values of \u201caspiration, innovation and opportunity\u201d to \u201cmodern day NSW, including for women and people from non-English speaking backgrounds.\u201d
\nSimon Birmingham, a former finance minister who quit before the election, said in a LinkedIn post that \u201cthere must be a reshaping of the party to connect it with the modern Australian community.\u201d
\n\u201cBased on who\u2019s not voting Liberal, it must start with women,\u201d Birmingham wrote. \u201cBased on where they\u2019re not voting Liberal, it must focus on metropolitan Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY Australia\u2019s Labor government will prioritize dealing with the \u201cdark shadow\u201d of the US-China trade war following its resounding re-election victory, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Sunday, after a campaign that highlighted concerns over US trade policy and the global economy. Labour Party leader Anthony Albanese, Australia\u2019s first prime minister to win a second consecutive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-476429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n