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ABSTRACT
Despite expectations of a Labor victory, the Liberal-National Coalition government in Australia was narrowly returned to office in the elections of 18 May 2019. The Coalition campaigned on a status quo platform, whereas Labor promised mildly redistributive policies in the name of fairness. The Coalition’s success is built on its very strong position in Queensland and Western Australia, also picking up two seats in Tasmania. Comparisons with Trumpism and Brexit are too simple, but the Coalition had a populist appeal among less affluent and less well educated Australians, complementing its traditional base among higher income groups; the biggest swings to Labor were in the most affluent and highly educated electorates rather than in the working class heartlands. The Coalition’s success gives Scott Morrison as prime minister a strong authority; Labor now has a new leadership with Anthony Albanese replacing Bill Shorten. The biggest policy challenges for the Coalition government concern the economy, and climate change and energy. Key international issues for Australia are US-China tensions and implementing the Pacific ‘step up’; the hard line policies relating to asylum seekers arriving by boat are likely to continue.
Notes
1. For summaries of party policies on major issues, see Donegan and Jeyaratnam, Citation2019; Murphy et al., Citation2019.
2. Note, however that both Queensland and Western Australia have state Labor governments, both generally pragmatic and pro-development.
3. Note that the highest vote for One Nation (21.59% of first preferences) was for its pro-coal candidate in the usually safe Labor electorate of Hunter (Newcastle region, NSW) held by Joel Fitzgibbon. Mine workers in Australia are well paid, with an average annual income of AUD 125,000 (Rodan, Citation2019).
4. Note the visit by three Chinese warships to Sydney Harbour in early June 2019, reciprocating a visit to Qingdao, China, by HMAS Melbourne in late April.