Australian voters voted in the general election on Saturday. It was the third major United States ally, behind Germany and Canada, and voted for the global economic and political landscape covered by the Second Trump administration.
Two men who are fighting to lead Australia (center left Labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and conservative coalition opposition leader Peter Dutton) agree that the country is in the most challenging environment of its generation. It relies heavily on the US for its security, but draws much of its prosperity from trade with China.
But the most pressing voters are the sustained living crisis and the worsening affordability of housing, further weakening long-standing optimism that Australia endures a recession with rich resources, high wages and a stable, functional government.
“It costs everything,” said Judy Pula, the mother of two, a registered nurse and mother of two who voted in the outskirts of Sydney, Liverpool during the shift break. Pra, 29, said she'd voted for Labor in the past, but this time she chose Australian greenery. “I think new leaders will benefit us.”
Still, recent polls show that Albanese's party has reached its second term with most of the House of Representatives seats. Australia has a Westminster-style council system.
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It's economy, friends
Dutton went to more than 15 gas stations on the campaign trail (counted by the Guardian) and made the party's proposal to cut taxes to reduce payments at the pump. Albanese highlights his commitment to flashing cards from Australia's universal healthcare system Medicare multiple times, reducing out-of-pocket costs.
As much as the global turmoil that originates from Washington has dominated the news cycle in recent months, voters say their number one concern is the problem of bread and butter (or bread, butter, vegemite) growing the average household. However, both major parties pledge only small measures to alleviate economic pressure, rather than bold and ambitious ideas for the direction of the country.
Bilal Anwar, a naturalized citizen who voted in Australia's first election, said the price rise in recent years has been staggering.
“Even the bread I buy would cost a dollar or two, but now it's four or five dollars,” said Anwar, 39, of the price of Australian dollars. “This isn't how much wages have risen.”
During the final discussion lightning, the two candidates were asked to price a dozen eggs for sale for more than $8 or nearly $6 in Australia. Dutton was quite apart, leaving the price in about half. Albanese was closer but still lower with Australia's $7 answer.
Egg prices rose 13.5% in the year ended March 2025, after a 6.8% increase in the previous year. Another classic, vegemite, is also slower, but more expensive.
“It's the nerve of the hip pocket. Under which government are you better?” said Shaun Ratcliff, a political scientist and poller at Accent Research. “I don't think they're sure they'll get better,” he said, despite economic dissatisfaction that should have reduced Albanese's approval rating and helped conservative opposition.
Cultural War
For Albanese, the political understanding of his three-year term was the failure of the 2023 referendum, which failed to embarrass the Parliament's Aboriginal Australian representation. When he was elected the previous year, it was his main campaign pledge. His Labour Party gained control in 2022 after the Central Right Union was in power for nine years.
Dutton, a former Queensland police officer, opposed the measure and continued to take an stance against other iconic perceptions of Indigenous peoples. He said he was not standing in front of the flags of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and said giving the first Australian approval at a public event was “overdoing.”
John Goodwin, a 72-year-old retired man wearing sandals, said he wore a T-shirt that read “The Old Man's Rules.” He said he didn't think Dutton had a good campaign but he had voted for his party because he didn't want to control labor.
He criticized both major political parties: “I think the policy is just rhetoric and waffles,” he added, “I can't wait for it to finish.”
Early in the campaign, opposition leaders had adopted several buzzwords or policies that reflected some of the causes of President Trump and his pets. The strategy appeared to be aimed at riding the global right-handed anti-power current that dominated last year. But when President Trump's first months unfolded, the association began cutting back on Dutton.
“To be considered a Trumpian now is not a good thing for the median voter,” said Ben Laue, an independent election analyst who runs the political tracking site Talley Room.
Graham Don, 56, voted for the Liberal Party for decades, but began supporting Labor in the last election. Trump's tone of speaking about the issue was bleeding into Australia's politics, he said.
“This country was only obtained from things like migration and international students, and we were trying to split,” he said.
Shift from key stakeholders
Australia, one of the few places in the world with mandatory votes, fines people who don't appear in polls. That is, politicians don't have the option of catering narrow and extreme foundations to vote, making politics more central.
However, in recent elections, Australian voters have separated from two long-dominated major parties, instead turning to independent candidates and minor parties. The trend also makes the prospects of minority governments more likely, which forces both parties to win the most seats to negotiate with smaller parties.
Garth Lotz, 35, a resident of Dutton's home state Queensland, said he hopes he will vote for an independent candidate, which will lead to a reduction in political party politics.
“Maybe there's a less vibe on the sports team that happens all at once,” he said.
Chris Wallace, a political historian at the University of Canberra, said the shift was a clear signal to complaints about the proposals provided by the two key players and the candidate's slate.
“Major parties don't listen to voters' views, particularly in search of deeper solutions to today's deeper problems,” she said.
