Australia ousts conservatives after nine years, Prime Minister Morrison concedes

[superadmin]

• Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat after an election on Saturday and the opposition Labor Party was set to end almost a decade of conservative rule.
  
• In at least five affluent Liberal-held seats, so-called “teal independents” looked set to win, tapping voter anger over inaction on climate change after some of the worst floods and fires hit Australia.
  

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat in an election on Saturday and the opposition Labor Party was set to end almost a decade of conservative rule, possibly with the support of independents who campaigned for greener policies.

Partial results showed that while Labor had made small gains, Morrison’s Liberal-National coalition had been punished by voters in Western Australia and affluent urban seats in particular.

The Greens and a group of so-called “teal independents”, who campaigned on policies of integrity, gender equality and tackling climate change, put on a strong showing, tapping voter anger over inaction on climate change after some of the worst floods and fires to hit Australia.

- More -

[superadmin]

Anthony Albanese sworn in as Australia’s prime minister ahead of Tokyo Quad meeting 

• Anthony Albanese, the first Labor prime minister since 2013, is heading to Tokyo for a Quad meeting
  
• Joining him will be Malaysia-born Penny Wong, the first Australian foreign minister to be born abroad
  

Australia’s Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the country’s 31st prime minister on Monday, promising a “journey of change” as he vowed to tackle climate change, rising living costs and inequality.

Labor returns to power after nine years in opposition as a wave of unprecedented support for the Greens and climate-focused independents, mostly women, helped end nearly a decade of rule by the conservative coalition in Saturday’s general election.

- More -

[superadmin]

Quad summit tests new Aussie PM’s political wisdom

Shortly after Australia's Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese is sworn in on Monday, the country's new prime minister will head for Japan for a Quad summit where he will "renew" his acquaintance with US President Joe Biden and meet other leaders of the group including the Indian and Japanese prime ministers. 

As the first event of importance after Albanese takes office, his attendance at the Quad summit - Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia aiming at countering China - is expected to be the first test of the political wisdom of the new Australian government, especially on whether it could get rid of the shadow of previous Scott Morrison's anti-China strategy that deeply hurt its own economy and trade, some Chinese experts said. They noted that Australia has little sway in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework given its high dependence on China's economy. 

- More -

[superadmin]

Will China and Australia Resume Their Good Relations Shortly?

[superadmin]

Can We Trust the New Australian Government?