Australian opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has conceded defeat following his loss to incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Saturday’s general election.
Albanese, representing the Labor Party, secured a decisive victory, while Dutton not only failed to lead his party to success but also lost his own parliamentary seat.
Throughout the campaign, Dutton struggled to distance himself from comparisons to United States President, Donald Trump, a perception that dogged his public image.
Earlier in the campaign season, Dutton had unveiled a proposal for a government efficiency unit aimed at cutting down on “waste,” drawing parallels to a similar initiative reportedly inspired by Elon Musk in the U.S.
Adding to the controversy, the Coalition’s Indigenous affairs spokesperson, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, echoed Trump’s rhetoric by adopting his slogan.
She defended her use of the phrase during an ABC interview, stating, “Donald Trump doesn’t own those four words,” in reference to the “Make Australia Great Again” slogan.
She also accused the media of bias, saying they were “slinging mud” and “smearing” the party by linking them to Trump.
In his concession speech, Dutton took full responsibility for the defeat, saying the party had been unfairly portrayed by opponents.
“It’s not our night, as I point out, and there are good members, good candidates, who have lost their seats or their ambition, and I’m sorry for that … we have an amazing party, and we’ll rebuild,” he said.
Meanwhile, Canada also held elections last week, with Prime Minister Mark Carney leading the centre-left Liberal Party to a fourth consecutive term, despite early polls suggesting a potential loss.
Like Dutton, Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre lost the seat he had held since 2004, in an election where Trump’s global influence was also a key theme.
