Trump’s Shadow: After Canada, Australian Voters Reject US-Style Conservatism

One week after Canadian voters punished conservatives for their stance towards Donald Trump, Australia has done the same, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's center-left Labor Party achieved a historic re-election. Trump's return to the White House and his aggressive tariffs on allies-including a 10% tariff on Australian exports-created deep skepticism among Australian voters about US reliability and the future of conservative politics.

 

Liberal leader Peter Dutton's explicit gestures toward Trump's policies, such as radical job reductions and toughline migration positions, repelled swing voters and energized a backlash against US-style right-wing populism. Surveys indicate faith in the US among Australians is at a two-decade low, with numerous Australians concerned about how to reconcile essential security links with Washington with economic reliance on China. The outcome: conservatives' crushing defeat, part of a wider trend among US allies concerned about Trump's influence.

 

Source: NBC News, Bloomberg, Politico