Contributed by Joe Montero

Saturday’s election result came as something of a shock. The polls were predicting the likelihood of a minority Labour government, because both major parties were going to lose votes. Liberals most of all. Now a Labor landslide is being broadcast by the usual.

Photo from 7 News: Anthony Ablanese claims victory on election night

Although in terms of seats won, the result for Labor is a landslide, with 87 seats for Labor and only 39 for the Liberal/National Coalition. In terms of votes, only 34.8 percent voted for Labor and 32.0 percent for the Coalition. This is no landslide. It is important that the third force comprising of the greens and Independents got 33.3 percent of the vote. This is important.

The undemocratic peculiarities of the Australian electoral system is the cause of the gap between what the electorate really wants and the allocation of parliamentary seats. This can be papered over for a time. But it cannot overcome the underlying reality of the decaying two-party system, which will continue to exert its influence. In time, this will change the political landscape of Australia.

Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty: Adam Band’s Melbourne seat is on a knife edge because of second preferences deals of the major parties

It remains that for now, Labor will continue to be the government, while remaining mostly unpopular. The pressure is on it to deliver on the key issues. The best part of Labor’s win is that it dealt a blow to the rabid direction the Liberal Party had planned for Australia.

The Liberals are tied to the most virulent version of American dominated rentier monopolies, dependent on interest-bearing investment, venture capitalism, internet related portal renting, and other forms of asset trading. and the interests of this rentier capitalism is best represented by Donald Trump and his administration in Washington.

Something like what happened in Australia was recently experienced in Canada, where the incumbent Liberal Party government (something like the Labor Party in Australia) was expected to get a thrashing and came back for an easy win. The keys linking the two are similar concerns about the cost of living, housing affordability. and other concerns along these lines.

Each country has experienced the minimalist approach of the major parties. Above all else. each election was held in the context of Donald Trump’s launching of his tariff war against the world, and those seen to be closest to the Trump administration suffered is a result. Like Peter Dutton, the equivalent opposition leader lost his seat.

Photo from the Townsville Bulletin: Liberal Party Leader Peter Dutton concedes defeat

Peter Dutton at first styled himself as the Donlad Trump Mini Me in Australia. This did not hit a cord with an Australia worried about the instability of the future. This is a major threat to the wellbeing households. The Australian Dollar has been losing value. There are new inflationary pressures, and in the suburban mortgage belts, the fear rising repayments id palpable. The Liberals found their strongholds eroding further.

As prominent commentators Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy wrote last week: “The Trump effect has cruelled Peter Dutton’s campaign.”

Labor came through as the safest alternative. Although similar in many ways, it did not go so far on the Dutton led road, and for many, this was a choice of the lesser of two evils.

The considerable vote of the Muslim community for their own candidates on the Palestine and their second preferences played a significant role. This benefited Labor over the Liberals.

Although the Liberals lost big time in the suburbs, Labor’s vote either remained the same or went backwards. The result depended heavily on second preferences.

The Liberal Party campaign inflicted its own wounds. An identification with Donald Trump at the start of its campaign has been mentioned. There was also the backfiring fiasco of the nuclear power, forcing a retreat. A failure of credibility on the issues of the economy and the increasing hardship voters are facing had its impact. Another failure was the hard line on industrial relations and unions. It found no purchase. The Dutton personality did not sit well. The second preferencing of Labor in key electorates to damage the Greens and Independents extracted its own price.