Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese will be the country’s new prime minister, following incumbent Scott Morrison’s failure to win enough seats for the Liberal-National coalition in Saturday’s election.
Albanese’s win marks an end to a near-decade in opposition for the Labor Party.
Following early indications of the outcome of the results on Saturday evening, Morrison telephoned Albanese to concede defeat. Morrison later announced his decision to step down as leader of Australia’s Liberal Party, in comments carried by ABC News Australia.
In his victory speech, Albanese said that he wanted to unite the people of the country after an election campaign that was dominated by issues such as the rising cost of living and the climate crisis.
“Tonight the Australian people have voted for change,” Albanese said at the Labor party headquarters on Saturday evening, in remarks broadcast by ABC News Australia. “My Labor team will work every day to bring Australians together.”
Australia’s new leader went on to highlight his humble beginnings, growing up as the “son of a single mum who was a disability pensioner, who grew up in public housing.”
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Albanese on his victory, and lobbied for the benefits of his country’s free-trade deal with Australia, under the Labor Party’s new leadership.
“I look forward to working with you as we reap the rewards of our comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the AUKUS partnership and the unmatched closeness between the British and Australian people,” Johnson said on Twitter.