The governing Labor Party easily held onto power in the Australian election this past weekend.
With about 80% of votes counted, results showed that the Labor Party had secured 85 of the 151 seats in the House of Representatives, well up from the 77 it won in the previous election.
The centre-right National-Liberal Coalition won 39 seats, a decline of 19.
Eight independents also secured seats, with two minor parties – Katter’s Australian Party and the Centre Alliance – each winning a seat.
The leader of the Liberal Party, Peter Dutton, lost his seat in Queensland to Ali France of the Labor Party. She was born in Durban in 1973 to Australian parents who were working in South Africa at the time.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Today, the Australian people have voted for Australian values: for fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all; for the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need.”
Meanwhile, Dutton took “full responsibility” for his party’s loss.
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