Chas Danner writes:

Donald Trump keeps losing national elections — for conservatives, in other countries. Prime minister Anthony Albanese claimed a second consecutive term in Australia on Saturday, in large part by running against the trade-warring Trump and highlighting America’s now cautionary tale of what happens when anti-government extremists take over your country and start smashing things.

Albanese’s center-left Labor Party is now projected to not only come from behind to win, but expand its majority in Australia’s House of Representatives. The Labor Party rode a sudden wave of anti-Trump sentiment just like Canada’s Liberal Party did earlier this week when Canadian voters dealt Trump not one, but three losses in that country’s national elections. Just like in Canada, the Labor Party looked doomed at the start of the year only to see its popularity soar after Trump took office and started making news. Just like in Canada, Australia’s once-popular conservative opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was not able to defend himself against comparisons to Trump — including being branded “DOGE-y Dutton” by Albanese. As just like what happened to Canada’s Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre, Dutton also lost the Parliamentary seat that he’d held for decades.

Dutton’s Liberal/National party coalition got wiped out in what historically should have been a change election, particularly one focused on economic issues, which tends to hurt the party in power. Dutton embraced culture warring, attacked the media, capitulated to Australia’s far-right, and advocated for multiple MAGA-like policies, including a push for government efficiency, major public service cuts, and a ban on working from home for government workers. [Continue reading…]