Australia’s Peter Dutton went down to a stunning defeat in today’s election. It came just five days after the Conservative Leader in Canada also lost his seat due to perceived ties to Donald Trump.
Source: The Independent
The Australian opposition leader likened to Donald Trump for apeing his policies has lost his seat as the incumbent Labor government secures a landslide win.
Peter Dutton has suffered more than a 10 per cent swing against him to Labor rival Ali France, who has so far claimed nearly 59 per cent of the vote under Australia’s two-party preferred system, with election analysts projecting the conservative leader’s ousting.
It comes as Australia’s centre-left prime minister Anthony Albanese secures a second term just days after Canada’s centrist Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, retained government, in what will be seen as part of an international backlash against the Trump administration.
Earlier on Saturday, Coalition senator and campaign spokesman James Paterson conceded Trump’s unpopularity in Australia had definitely played a part.
“One factor I think we can all acknowledge and recognise is the Trump factor. It was devastating in Canada for the conservatives, where the conservative leader Pierre Poilievre lost 20 points over the course of a few months,” Mr Paterson, seen as a rising star in the Liberal and National party coalition, told the ABC.
And what did Dutton stand for?
Mr Dutton, who took the reins of the Coalition after the former conservative prime minister Scott Morrison’s 2022 defeat, is known for his projected hardman persona, aggressive stance on immigration, and attacks on what he describes as left-wing media bias as well as “woke” school teachers and university lecturers.
Sound familiar?
Australia’s The Chaser, a satirical news program, put it thus:
In a time honoured tradition, an American president has thrown another country’s election.
This time by installing Anthony Albanese as Australia’s Prime Minister, by making everyone too scared to vote for Peter Dutton.
The expert strategy for the US was focused around them fucking up their own economy and freaking out Aussies into voting for anyone who doesn’t remind them of Trump.
The liberation of Australia went so well that not only did the threat to civilisation’s party lose, he also lost his seat.
Probably not helped by an Australian Senator vowing to “Make Australia Great Again” a few weeks ago.
And that infamous Christmas selfie.
Jacinta “Make Australia great again” Price on ABC just now:
“Sling enough mud and it sticks. The media. You’ve made it all about Trump”
Guuuurl…this you? 👀 #Auspol pic.twitter.com/QUa2Aju16K
— Sarah Haar (@Sarah_Haar_) May 3, 2025
And some tweets.
#BREAKING 🚨 Peter Dutton has lost his seat of Dickson to Labor’s Ali France, 6 News projects pic.twitter.com/mwwduVvrx6
— 6 News Australia (@6NewsAU) May 3, 2025
TRUMPISM REJECTED IN AUSTRALIA
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been re-elected as his Labor Party surged to victory and is projected to form a majority government. In a historic first, opposition leader Peter Dutton—often likened to Donald Trump—lost his own seat… pic.twitter.com/Wg1n0LiEsw
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) May 3, 2025
The US has successfully tilted another country’s election.
Read more: https://t.co/1YyzltJvdO pic.twitter.com/O2LeKW1zmt
— The Chaser (@chaser) May 3, 2025