Anthony Albanese surrounded by his partner Jodie Haydon (right) and Labor Senator Penny Wong after winning the general election in Sydney, Australia May 22, 2022. RICK RYCROFT / AP
The Australians have clearly given the Tories their day off. After nine years in power, the Liberal-National coalition suffered a crushing defeat in the general elections on Saturday 21st May. Outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave way to Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, who was formally sworn in as Prime Minister on Monday 23 May.
“It says a lot about our great country that the son of a single mother who received a disability pension and grew up in public housing (…) can stand before you as Prime Minister,” he said on the eve of his victory, visibly moved. My mother dreamed of a better life for me. And I hope my trip will encourage Australians to aim for the stars. »
In front of his cheering supporters, the 59-year-old first-elect pledged “an economy at the service of the people” while the country’s annual inflation rate hit 5.1% in the first quarter of 2022, a twenty-year record. This context had made purchasing power one of the main issues of the election campaign. In order to support the population, Mr. Albanese intends to adjust the minimum wage for inflation, but also reduce the cost of crèches, medicines and even education. As a Member of Parliament since 1996, he has also pledged to meet one of Aboriginal people’s key demands: to organize a constitutional referendum to set up a representative body to advise Parliament on legislation affecting Indigenous Peoples. After all, he wants to end a decade of immobility on the frontlines of climate change.
Read also article reserved for our subscribers. Australia compensates the “stolen generation”, those Aboriginal people who have been snatched from their families
“Environmental issues were not the focus of debates, but they played a crucial role in the outcome of these elections. The Conservatives have lost several constituencies in major metropolitan areas where voters have turned their backs in favor of independent candidates who are highly mobilized on these issues,” said Haydon Manning, professor of political science at Flinders University in Adelaide.
Because more than a victory for the Labor Party, which has no guarantee of an absolute majority in the House of Representatives after all votes have been counted – a process which is usually lengthy due to postal votes – this vote marks the unprecedented success of the “small” candidates and in particular a group nicknamed the “Teal Independents” (in reference to the “teal” color of their election material), mostly women, highly qualified, who champion the defense environment, gender equality and the fight against corruption. They have been overwhelmingly popular in affluent constituencies where the majority of voters are Liberals and Progressives. “I have the impression that these MPs are closer to us and our concerns,” explains Nick Shaw, a train driver from Sydney, at the exit of a polling station in the metropolis. A few paces from him, Sean Nimmo, Merchant, gave his voice to the greens, also advancing strongly. “I don’t want any more new coal mines, I don’t want us to set a bad example in the fight against global warming,” says the 30-year-old.
You still have 47.98% of this article to read. The following is for subscribers only.