SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Australians woke up Sunday to Anthony Albanese as the new prime minister. The leader of the center-left Labor Party is set to become head of government after growing up the son of a single mother on disability pension, a rise described as a reflection of the country’s new reality.
The 59-year-old career politician, who has stood as the only candidate with a “non-Anglo-Celtic name” to stand for prime minister in the 121 years since the office has existed, spoke of his humble childhood in Camperdown, a Sydney suburb, as he thanked voters for making him the country’s 31st president.
“It says a lot about our great country that the son of a single mother on invalidity pension, who grew up in state housing down the road in Camperdown, can stand before you tonight as Prime Minister of Australia,” Albanese told cheering supporters. , after defeating Scott Morrison and ending nine years of Conservative government.
“Any parent wants more than they had for the next generation. My mother dreamed of a better life for me. And I hope that my life story inspires Australians to aim for the stars,” she said.
However, it was unclear whether Albanese’s party could form a majority government or would have to rely on a growing number of independents and lawmakers from minority parties who won seats in Saturday’s election. Analysts described the election results as extremely complicated, saying they reflected the political landscape of modern Australia.
Although the counting of mail-in votes was expected to continue for several days, Albanese may have to take office as acting prime minister, perhaps even as early as Sunday, to attend Tuesday’s four-party summit in Tokyo with the president. of the United States, Joe Biden, the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
The vote was a clear rejection of Australia’s traditional two-party system, both Labor and the much-battered Conservative coalition led by outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party. Major parties lost seats to minority groups and independents, included in many constituencies seen as their traditional strongholds.
Labor needed 76 seats in the House of Representatives to govern alone, but by Sunday morning they had won 71 with 67% of the ballots counted, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The Liberal-National coalition had won just 52, compared to a minimal majority of 76 in 2019. Analysts interpreted this as a firm rejection of Morrison and his government’s handling of many issues during his three-year term, such as climate, COVID-19, women’s rights, political integrity, and natural disasters like wildfires and floods.
A total of 15 seats were allocated to independents or small party candidates. Three of them were for the environmentalist Green Party and 12 for independent politicians, nine of them from a new trend in Australian politics described as politicians “greener” than traditional liberals, and who want stronger measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse in Australia from those proposed by the government or Labor.
Most of his winning candidates were women, a success attributed in part to discontent with Morrison over his handling of gender issues such as sex scandals that rocked parliament during his tenure.
Although Labor will form a minority or majority government, the two traditional parties lost support. The coalition lost 6% of the vote compared to 2019, and Labor around 1.2%, according to data from Sunday morning.
Albanese promised to unite Australians in a unity government, increase spending on social services and “end the climate wars”.
“My Labor team will work every day to bring Australians together. And I will lead a government worthy of the people of Australia,” she said.
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