They're still counting votes in Australia from this weekend's national elections. But the main outcome is clear — and it includes a surprise.
Australia's center-left Labor Party will continue to lead the country, and the extent of its victory was a political shock for many observers. The opposition coalition's candidate for prime minister not only lost the election, but Peter Dutton lost his seat in parliament — a position he’d held for 24 years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became the first incumbent leader to win back-to-back elections in Australia in more than 20 years.
Earlier this year, Albanese's government appeared to be in trouble — polls showed him trailing, in part because of voter dissatisfaction with government policies from housing to health care.
Dutton and the center-right Liberal/National coalition ran a campaign that reminded many of President Trump.
Former Coalition Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the BBC that President Trump was “the mood music that had a very big influence on how people perceived” the political opposition.
Monday, Albanese told reporters he had a “warm and positive conversation with President Trump,” adding that the two also discussed tariffs.
Australia faces tariffs of 10%, although the United States has a trade surplus with the country.
When the tariffs were announced, Albanese said the move was “not the act of a friend,” although he also declined to counter with tariffs in retaliation.
