The White House is planning a Trump birthday parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the Army
The White House is planning a massive military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Army and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
Australia’s Anthony Albanese has insisted on a historic second term as prime minister for a dramatic revival against formerly stricken conservatives, powered by voter concerns about the impact of President Donald Trump.
Conservative Liberal leader Peter Dutton admitted defeat and the loss of his own seat – reflecting the fate of Canadian conservatives and their leaders, due to Trump’s backlash, due to the loss of the election a few days ago.
Supporters of Sydney’s Labour election party cheered and hugged each other as Albanese claimed victory and said his party would form a majority government.
“Our government will choose the Australian way because we are proud of who we are and everything we have built together in this country,” Albanese told supporters.
“We don’t need to beg, borrow or copy from other places. We don’t seek inspiration from overseas. We find it here and in our values and people.”
Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to win a consecutive term in 20 years. He said Australians voted for equity and “strength of showing their strength to show adversity and kindness to those in need.”
The Australian Election Committee website predicts that Labour will win 80 of the 150 seats in the House, with 90% of the polling stations counting, increasing the majority.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has predicted 85 seats and 41 seats for the liberal and national coalition.
Dutton – Liberals had led the polls recently in February before he was troubled by comparisons with Trump – said he called Albanese to congratulate him.
“We didn’t do well enough during this campaign. That’s a lot tonight and I’ll accept full responsibility for it,” Dutton said in a TV speech.
Dutton, a former police officer with a reputation for being harsh on crime and immigration, said he spoke to the Labour candidate at the Dixon seat he held for 20 years and congratulated her on success.
“We’ve been defined by our enemies in this election, and this is not a true story of who we are,” Dutton said, promising that the party would rebuild.
“Trump Factor”
Concerns about Trump’s volatile trade and other policies were one of the biggest issues with voter minds, according to polls.
“If you throw enough mud at us, it’s going to stick,” said Jacinta Nampizinpa Price, a liberal senator from the Northern Territory.
“You made it all about Trump,” she said on ABC. Dutton said he would appoint prices to the government’s Department of Efficiency, one of several echoes of Trump’s policies.
“Losing Peter Dutton is a huge loss,” she added.
Several political analysts have been critical of the Liberal Party’s campaign, saying there hasn’t been enough policy work, and that Dutton has made mistakes, including a short-lived policy banning civil servants working from home.
Liberal spokesman Sen. James Patterson defended the conservative campaign and said he was negatively affected by “Trump factors.”
“It was devastating in Canada for conservatives… I think it was a factor here. How big of a factor will be determined in just a few hours,” he previously told ABC.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a statement congratulating Albanese, saying that Australia is a “valuable ally, a partner and friend of the United States.”
“Our shared values and democratic traditions provide bedrock for a lasting alliance and a deep connection between our people,” Rubio said.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer also congratulated Albanese, saying that defence cooperation between the two countries, including Orcas, and support for Ukraine will grow.
“The UK and Australia are still as close as ever. This indicates that long-distance friendships are the strongest,” Starmer wrote on social media platform X.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Albanese in his message from X:
Previously, when the count went on, Labour Treasury Secretary Jim Chalmers said the government “got into all sorts of trouble” at the end of 2024 but returned to the contest due to Albanese’s strong campaign performance, concerns about the cost of living and the Trump effect.
When the results began to emerge, he told ABC that the expected victory was an “age victory.” Albanese “spent one of the great political victories since the Federation,” he said.
The outcome was “absolutely incredible,” said worker supporter Melinda Adderly, 54, in tears in the election party.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham, Christine Chen, and Alasdair Pal of Sydney; Editing by Edmund Klamann, Andrew Heavens, and Mark Heinrich)
