The 2025 federal election wasn’t just a contest of political ideas; it was a bloody massacre, with Peter Dutton’s Liberal-National Coalition copping a hiding so severe it’s left them scrambling for the smelling salts. The opposition leader’s loss of his own seat of Dickson (held for 24 years) to Labor’s Ali France, is the kind of political gut-punch that’ll echo for decades. This wasn’t just a defeat; it was a repudiation of everything the right wing and Dutton stood for.
Today, RNZ reported:
Australia has fired Peter Dutton into the sun, taking much of the Liberal Party and its future with him.
Standing in the vapour wake stood a euphoric and unimpeded Anthony Albanese, whose campaign was as devastating, driven and determined as Dutton's was dreadful, deluded and doomed.
Albanese stands atop a dominant and remarkable victory that will surely change the country as profoundly as Bob Hawke and John Howard did in their time.
The main driver of this electoral apocalypse for Dutton and his Liberal-National Coalition was the cost-of-living crisis, which hung over voters like a dark cloud. Dutton’s mob tried to exploit it, but their campaign was an incoherent mess. They didn’t have a plan. Just a grab-bag of half-baked ideas and Trumpian bluster. His nuclear energy push, for one, landed like a lead balloon. Aussies, it turns out, aren’t keen on glowing promises when the science and economics don’t stack up. Meanwhile, Labor hammered home a steady-hand message, promising tax cuts and healthcare boosts that resonated with voters, who backed Labor for better schools and hospitals.
Then there’s the “Trump effect.” Dutton’s flirtation with right-wing populism…cosying up to Pauline Hanson's racist One Nation party and parroting “Make Australia Great Again” vibes…was a fatal misstep. Dutton’s gaffes didn’t help: underestimating egg prices in a cost-of-living debate and accidentally clobbering a cameraman with a footy made him look more clown than contender. His embrace of One Nation alienated moderates, and the shadow of Trump’s tariffs and global chaos sent voters scurrying to the devil they knew: Anthony Albanese’s Labor.
The result? A Labor landslide, with projections of 85 seats and a thumping majority, making Albo the first PM since John Howard to win consecutive terms. Ali France, a para-athlete and disability advocate, unseating Dutton was the cherry on top. History has been made, as she became the first to topple a federal opposition leader at the polls. The Greens, despite losing two Queensland seats, still celebrated their highest-ever vote share.
So, hats off to Labor, Ali France, and the teals for reading the room and delivering. This election wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Aussies rejected fearmongering and division, choosing optimism and pragmatism. Dutton’s out, the Coalition’s in tatters, and Labor’s got a mandate to tackle the big issues. Good on ya, Australia. Now, let’s see Albo make it count.
