Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered early congratulations to Canada’s Mark Carney, who is poised to secure a fourth term for the Liberal Party after claiming victory in the national election.
Speaking to reporters in Sunnybank while on the campaign trail, Albanese said the result was “looking very positive” for his Canadian counterpart.
“I congratulate him,” Albanese said. “I’ve had a couple of warm conversations with him—[it’s a] close relationship. We are similar countries, share a lot in common.”
Albanese, leader of the centre-left Australian Labor Party, responded cautiously when asked if the result signalled a boost for centre-left politics globally.
“Mark Carney has stood up for Canada’s national interest, just as I stand up for Australia’s national interest,” he said.
Carney Rides Nationalist Surge to Likely Fourth Term
In his victory speech, Carney framed the election as a defence of sovereignty.
“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” he told a crowd in Ottawa.
“These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never, ever happen.”
He also pointed to his economic credentials, positioning himself as the leader best equipped to manage cross-border tensions.
The Liberals’ struggling campaign saw revitalisation following economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, despite poor polling earlier in the year..
Trump’s Shadow on Australian Campaigns
Trump’s presence has also been seen in some of Australia’s election campaigns, with Peter Dutton, leader of Australia’s centre-right Liberal Party, being accused of copying Trump-style policies.Albanese highlighted differences with Trump, saying, “I support free and fair trade, he doesn’t.”
However, both major parties reaffirmed trust in the United States during the final leaders’ debate on April 27.
Albanese answered “yes” when asked if America could still be trusted after Trump’s recent move to impose 10 percent tariffs on Australian imports.
“When I went to the United States for the official visit, I met with over 100 congresspeople and senators across Democrats, Republicans,” Albanese said.
“There’s universal support for the relationship with Australia and I think that gives us confidence.”
Dutton agreed, saying, “We can trust whoever is in the Oval Office,” citing his experience with the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations under former Liberal governments.
“There is a strong support for the alliance,” he said.
