Campaign volunteers address a voter at the entrance to an Australian Electoral Commission early voting centre ahead of the national election, in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, May 17, 2022.Campaign volunteers address a voter at the entrance to an Australian Electoral Commission early voting centre ahead of the national election, in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, May 17, 2022.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said he will be sworn in as the 31st prime minister on Monday along with four senior party members, before heading to Tokyo to attend a “Quad” summit on Tuesday with US President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan and India. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party was toppled in several urban strongholds by independents, mostly women, who campaigned for more action on climate change, integrity and gender equality. The independents and a strong showing from the Greens also ate into Labor’s vote share in many seats.
If a hung parliament emerges, independents will hold considerable weight in framing the government’s policies on climate change and the efforts to set up a national anti-corruption commission.