Potential Assistance for Trump in Australian PM's Electoral Success: Insights from Experts
In contrast to Canada's election swayed by Trump-leaning voters, US President Joe Biden was the least of Aussies' worries for voting in favor of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, experts suggest. But, Trump's influence seemed to impact the Labor Party's comeback, according to some academics.
After trailing three months prior, Labor managed to overtake conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton’s coalition and led various polls leading up to the election day. Dutton's conservative agenda, labeled as "Trump-lite," proved unappealing to several voters, Politics Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Henry Maher, explained.
From public service job cuts in the name of efficiency to the unpopular 10-percent tariff on goods from Australia, Trump's policies may have caused unease among voters, Maher hypothesized. According to Maher, in times of instability, people usually favor the steady hand of an incumbent leader.
The Australian public's trust in the US has plummeted, with only 36 percent of Australians expressing confidence in the United States, according to an annual Lowy Institute poll – a 20-percentage-point drop from 2024. Dutton, who lost his parliamentary seat in the election blow-out, earlier regarded Trump as a "big thinker" and "shrewd." However, both Dutton and Albanese upped their rhetoric, stressing they would not yield to the American leader when it came to defending Australia's interests.
Kate Harrison Brennan, advisor to Labor's former prime minister Julia Gillard, stated that Dutton's coalition attempted to implement policies strikingly similar to those in the US. According to Harrison Brennan, the global chaos under Trump's leadership had benefited Albanese by portraying him as a steady and effective leader for Australia during a period of instability and change.
Not all analysts agreed that Trump was the deciding factor in the election. Political Scientist at Griffith University, Paul Williams, argued that Albanese would have won even if Biden was still President. According to Williams, the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to cut key interest rates in February served as a "turning point" in Labor's fortunes.
In contrast to the idea that Dutton's policies resembled Trump's, Williams suspected that the conservative leader had only proposed a few policies, such as introducing nuclear power to Australia, and failed to adequately explain them to voters. Dutton's abrupt change in policies, like his aborted proposal to prevent public servants from working remotely, emphasized doubts about his trustworthiness and commitment to govern, Williams suggested.
In the end, undecided voters avoided Dutton not because of his Trump-like qualities but because of Dutton himself, Williams posited. According to Williams, "They are doing it because of Peter Dutton. Peter Dutton has lost this election because of Peter Dutton.”
- In contrast to the United States, where President Joe Biden was not a significant concern for Aussies in their voting decision for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, experts suggest.
- The Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, overtook the conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton’s coalition in the latest election after trailing three months prior.
- Henry Maher, a Politics Lecturer at the University of Sydney, explained that Dutton's conservative agenda, often labeled as "Trump-lite," was unappealing to several voters.
- According to Maher, the Australian public's unease may have been caused by Trump's policies such as public service job cuts and the imposition of a 10-percent tariff on goods from Australia.
- The annual Lowy Institute poll revealed that only 36 percent of Australians express confidence in the United States, a significant drop from previous years.
- Kate Harrison Brennan, advisor to Labor's former prime minister Julia Gillard, stated that Dutton's coalition attempted to implement policies strikingly similar to those in the US.
- Paul Williams, a Political Scientist at Griffith University, argued that Albanese would have won even if Biden was still President, suggesting that the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to cut key interest rates in February served as a turning point.
- Williams suggested that Dutton's loss was not due to his Trump-like qualities but rather due to doubts about his trustworthiness and commitment to govern, emphasized by his abrupt changes in policies like his proposal to prevent public servants from working remotely.
