Australia’s Election Under the Shadow of Donald Trump

A superpower that twisted trade barriers into a weapon of political coercion lurked large, endangering Australia’s export-reliant economy. Recently, it was the United States and President Trump, drawing echoes of China’s past actions. Trade tensions, though, were overshadowed by domestic issues like inflation, a point of contention between Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party and Peter Dutton’s conservative Liberal Party. Albanese’s party highlighted potential “Americanization” as a risk if Dutton’s party took the reins, while both candidates had to confront their trust in Trump, whose policies included a 10 percent levy on most Australian imports. Public trust in the United States had wavered, with Australia moving towards Labor as the election approached, influenced by global shifts and seeking stability amidst an unsettling international climate.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/02/world/asia/australia-election-trump-china.html