Brisbane, Australia
CNN
—
Australian voters delivered a sharp rebuke to the centre-right government, ending nine years of Conservative rule, in favor of the centre-left opposition who have promised stronger action on climate change.
Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese appeared confident of forming a minority government, although it was unclear as counting continued whether the party would have enough seats for a majority, according to projections by three news networks.
The parties need a majority of 76 seats to form a majority government. Labor currently holds around 70, according to the Australian Electoral Commission.
The initial count showed a strong swing towards the Greens and Independents candidates who demanded emissions cuts far in excess of commitments made by Morrison’s coalition.
Amanda McKenzie, executive director of the Climate Council research group, declared climate action the winner of the vote.
“Millions of Australians have put climate first. Now, it is time for a radical reset of how this great nation of ours deals with the climate challenge,” he said in a statement.
Albanese served as a minister in the previous Labor government under Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, before taking over as Labor leader after the party’s most recent election defeat in 2019.
That defeat left Labor gasping for breath and they returned to this election campaign with more modest promises so as not to scare voters worried about radical change.
Aside from the weather, this election focused on the character of the leaders. Morrison was deeply unpopular with voters and seemed to acknowledge it when he admitted during the final week of the campaign that he had been a “little bulldozer.” He was referring to making tough decisions during the pandemic and breaking up a submarine deal with France, but reflected claims about his leadership style as more authoritarian than collaborative.
Speaking to supporters on Saturday night, Morrison said he called Albanese and congratulated him on his election victory. “I have always believed in the Australians and in his trial, and I have always been prepared to accept his verdict,” he said.
Just before midnight, Albanese came out to cheers from his supporters and said he would seek to unite the nation. “I will work every day to bring Australians together. And I will lead a government worthy of the people of Australia.”
He added: “I can promise all Australians that no matter how you voted today, the government I lead will respect you all every day.”
One of Albanese’s first priorities as prime minister will be to rebuild relationships with foreign leaders that he says Morrison has neglected in recent years. They include leaders from Pacific islands, including the Solomon Islands, whose leader has signed a security pact with Beijing, fueling fears that China plans to build its first military base in the Pacific.
On Tuesday, Albanese intends to travel to Tokyo with Foreign Minister Penny Wong for talks with Quad members from the United States, India and Japan, where they will discuss priorities for safeguarding free passage in the Indo-Pacific.
The climate crisis was one of the defining issues of the election, as one of the few points of difference between the coalition and Labor, and a key concern of voters, according to polls.
Marija Taflaga, a professor of politics and international relations at the Australian National University, said the turn to the Greens was remarkable. “I think everyone has been surprised by these results… I think it will mean more and faster action on climate change in general.”
Labor promised to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050, in part by strengthening the mechanism used to pressure companies to cut.
But the research institute Climate Analytics says Labor’s plans are not ambitious enough to keep global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the Paris Agreement.
Labor policies are more consistent with a 2 degree Celsius rise, the institute said, marginally better than the coalition plan.
To speed up the transition to renewable energy, Labor plans to modernize Australia’s power grid and roll out solar banks and community batteries. But despite its net-zero commitment, Labor says it will approve new coal projects if they are environmentally and economically viable.
In inner-city seats, the results show that voters threw their support behind independents, mostly highly educated candidates who espouse a platform of deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions and integrity in government. They targeted traditionally safe Liberal seats, challenging voters to take a stand on decades of government inaction. They will be among the candidates Labor is likely to negotiate with as it seeks to form a government.
Albanese supports a 5.1% minimum wage increase, although he does not have the power to impose it, only leeway to submit a recommendation to the Fair Work Commission for the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation.
Albanese often refers to his background as the son of a single mother to demonstrate his commitment to improving the lives of Australians in need.
His mother, Maryanne, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and lived on disability benefits while raising him alone in social housing in the 1960s.
“It gave me a determination every day to help people as if I was growing up to have a better life. And I think that’s what Australians want,” he told the National Press Club in January.
Albanese repeatedly credited her mother for her strength during her campaign, most recently on Friday when she paid tribute to an “incredible woman.”
“She would be very proud because she made the brave decision in 1963 to keep a child she had out of wedlock,” she said.
Albanese’s father was a steward on a cruise ship, and the new Australian prime minister was born out of a brief relationship that was scandalous at the time for a single Catholic woman.
So she told him that his father had died to spare him the truth, he said.
“That was a tough decision,” he said. “It says something about the pressure that was put on women and the pressures that are still put on women when faced with difficult circumstances. The fact that that child is now running for prime minister says a lot about her and her courage, but it also says a lot about this country.”
Albanese may have won over the Australians, but one of his challenges as prime minister will be to unite factions in his party, said Zareh Ghazarian, a professor of politics at Monash University.
“He has presented himself as someone who is going to be a sensible leader. The challenge that he will have is to be aware and stay aware of the Labor Party caucus,” he said.
Paul Williams, a political scientist at Griffith University, said Albanese lacked experience in major portfolios, but predicted he would “grow on the job.”
“I think it will be a steep learning curve for Albanese because he has not had a high-level portfolio as treasurer or foreign minister. And he’s going to be in the mix at the Quad meeting next week. So it’s going to be a baptism of fire,” he said.
Albanese said he hoped his victory would show young Australians that “the doors of opportunity are open to all of us”.
“All parents want more for the next generation than they had. My mother dreamed of a better life for me. And I hope my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars.”
Reference-www.cnn.com