Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called an election for May 3, warning that the opposition is taking its lead from Donald Trump’s administration and telling voters that “now is not the time for cutting and wrecking”.
Albanese, who had to call a vote by mid-May, visited Australia’s governor-general Sam Mostyn early on Friday in order to kick off a five-week campaign. Cannons were fired outside Parliament House in Canberra to signal the national government had been dissolved.
Albanese, who was elected in 2022 and is battling to avoid leading the first one-term government since the 1930s, said the election came during “uncertain times”. It will be held less than a week after a Canadian election that has been overshadowed by Trump’s actions against Ottawa.
The Labor government’s standing in the polls has improved substantially in recent weeks as Trump’s policies — such as refusing to extend an exemption for tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium — have started to feed through to voter intentions.
Albanese, speaking on Friday, laid out measures to ease cost-of-living pressures on households — including tax cuts and new energy subsidies — while claiming that an opposition, Liberal-led coalition would cut public services.
“Over the past few years, the world has thrown a lot at Australia. In uncertain times, we cannot decide the challenges that we will face but we can determine how we respond,” he said. “Because of the strength and resilience that our people have shown, Australia is now turning the corner.”
On Thursday night, opposition leader Peter Dutton laid out a plan to cut migration, slash public sector jobs and cut subsidies for hydrogen and critical minerals if he were elected.
He responded to Labor’s cost-of-living proposals with a plan to reduce petrol taxes and channel more gas to the Australian market, a measure he said would help lower electricity and fuel prices.
Dutton, a former police officer who has served as defence, immigration and health minister in previous governments, had earlier taken a hardline approach on cultural issues including “woke” agendas. That earned him the nickname “Temu Trump”, referring to the discount online marketplace.
However, with governments in Canada, Ukraine and across Europe gaining in popularity in reaction to the US leader’s bellicose approach, Dutton has softened his messaging.
A plan to force public servants to return to the office five days a week was seen as a mis-step, according to polling data, and his party is now focused on cost-of-living issues.
The backlash against Trump has strengthened Albanese’s hand, said political strategists. Labor would be returned to government with an increased majority should the vote be held this week, according to the latest Roy Morgan poll.
Labor leads the opposition by 53 per cent to 47 per cent, a turnaround from three weeks ago when Dutton’s party was ahead, the poll shows.
Bruce Hawker, a political strategist and former political director for ex-premier Kevin Rudd, said Dutton had a “tactical problem”, with voters turning away from populist politics in the wake of Trump’s behaviour towards allies including Canada and Australia.
“Why Albanese wasn’t a good prospect in January means he is a good prospect in May,” he said. “Two months of Trump has made him seem very different. Australians are feeling pretty nervous about the Trump administration. That is playing pretty badly for Dutton.”
