The Australian federal general election of 3 May 2025 was a turning point in political history. The Labor Party (ALP), led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, won 94 seats in the House of Representatives, securing a single majority. This is the highest level of seats ever held under the current system. Although there were fears in advance polls that Labor would lose a slim majority in the polls, it turned out to be a resounding victory for Labor, who won a historic number of seats and a single-party government.
Australia, like the USA and the UK, has two major political parties, the Labor Party and the Liberal-National Coalition, which constantly move back and forth between the two major parties as if they were flag-waving. In most elections, instead of a loss of leadership and double scoring, as was the case this time, there have been cases where a few seats have been enough to form a government, or where neither party has achieved a majority and the ruling party has been formed as a coalition with other parties.
Background and factors behind the overwhelming victory
1. the party was recognised for its response to the economy and cost-of-living issues
The Labour Party has developed and implemented policies to deal with rising prices and living costs, such as subsidies for electricity, healthcare and childcare, and reduced the burden of childcare costs.
Many voters appreciated that these policies were not yet perfect, but that they were achieving certain results, and called for continuity.
On the other hand, the opposition parties failed to present clear economic policies, giving the impression that they cannot be trusted to govern.
2. strong support in urban areas and among younger voters
Labor won overwhelming votes in urban areas such as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Support was particularly concentrated among people in their 20s-40s, who are more concerned about housing and rent issues, education and healthcare.
The Greens’ support base was also absorbed by Labor due to similarities in climate change policy.
3. the ‘moderate’ leadership of Prime Minister Albanisi
Prime Minister Albanij was a politician with a dialogical and down-to-earth style, who maintained a middle-of-the-road line while keeping radical forces within his party in check.
His stable administration with few scandals since taking power in 2022 has impressed, which has also helped to build trust in him.
4. opposition stalling and the defeat of party leader Dutton
Peter Dutton of the Liberal Party was strongly conservative and was criticised for not having ‘public sympathy’ and being ‘outdated’.
He was particularly hardline on LGBTQ+, immigration policy and security, which led to a backlash from urban and younger voters.
Furthermore, his defeat in his own constituency of Dickson was a devastating blow to the opposition.
5. skillful election tactics and media handling
During the election campaign, the Labour Party used social networking and grassroots campaigning to better penetrate younger and multicultural voters than in the past.
In contrast, the Opposition relied on negative campaigning on many occasions, which some argue was less effective.
In the end, the Labour Party won **94 seats (out of 150)** in the lower house, securing a single majority. This is the largest number of seats ever held under the current system, and the result is regarded as an indication of voters’ strong demand for “continued reform”.
