Australian news and politics recap April 30: Albo deflects campaign lying claims by targeting Dutton’s record
Scroll down for the latest news and updates.
Key Events
Australian voters watch closely as Trump backlash affects Canadian election
A centre-left party comes from behind in the polls to win an election fought over living costs and Donald Trump.
Sound familiar?
With just days until Saturday’s poll, political insiders are dissecting the results of an election on the other side of the world.
Canada’s ruling Liberal Party - which shares a name with Australia’s conservative party but occupies the other side of the political spectrum - has won enough seats to retain government.
It’s a remarkable outcome for the Liberals, who were 20 percentage points behind in the polls earlier this year.
The progressive party looked headed for a crushing defeat until the US president started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state.
Donald Trump’s actions enraged Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the script and win a fourth-straight term.
The opposition wanted to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who was waning in popularity as food, power and housing prices surged.
But Mr Trudeau soon quit and was replaced as leader ahead of the election, with disaffected voters flocking back to his party as Mr Trump threatened annexation and a trade war.
There are obvious differences between the Canadian experience and Australian election but also some parallels, including the upending influence of Mr Trump.
