Will Keys,
On Saturday, 3 May 2025, Australians went to the polls to elect the 48th Federal Parliament. Contrary to months of polling and public sentiment suggesting deep dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Party (ALP), voters returned them to power in a landslide. Labor secured 85 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of the Liberal National Party (LNP) not only failed to lead his party to victory—he lost his own seat.
Despite the commanding majority in the lower house, the Senate remains unchanged. This means the ALP still faces limits in pushing through its legislative agenda. Whether the Senate continues to act as a moderating force or caves to political pressure will determine how far Australia shifts—some might say slides—toward more radical policy directions.
What’s particularly telling about this result is its parallel to recent developments in Canada. In both countries, voters appeared to cast ballots based not purely on domestic policy but as a referendum on U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The sentiment seemed less about local leadership and more about a visceral rejection of Trump as a figurehead of populism and conservative nationalism. Like it or not, many Australians and Canadians voted against someone who wasn’t even on their ballot.
This phenomenon is not just simplistic—it’s dangerous. In my view, this political backlash was amplified and manipulated by national broadcasters such as the ABC in Australia and CBC in Canada, alongside the globalist-aligned mainstream media. These outlets have spent years vilifying Trump and promoting a worldview aligned with transnational technocrats and centralised governance.
The implications are more immediate and severe for Canada than for Australia. Canada is already buckling under regional tensions, with credible threats of secession emerging from its western provinces. Economically, Canada is also more exposed to the international tariff regime reinstated by President Trump. The American tariffs are expected to hit Canadian industries harder than Australia’s more diversified and geographically isolated economy.
Still, those celebrating Trump’s setbacks may have underestimated both the resilience of the MAGA movement in the U.S. and its ideological counterparts in Canada and Australia. These movements are not going away. They are regrouping and gaining ground in opposition to globalist policies and elite consensus narratives.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has shown surprising resolve. Canada’s economy, though vulnerable, may yet defy expectations. The same question hangs over Australia. Prime Minister Albanese has controversially reappointed Kevin Rudd as Ambassador to the United States—despite Rudd’s past remarks describing President Trump as “an incompetent village idiot.” It’s a bold move, possibly unwise, considering Trump’s re-election and renewed influence on global affairs.
Australians remain popular in the United States. They are often told how well-liked they are, and it’s mostly true. Australia is a great nation. But let’s not kid ourselves—there is a growing number of Australians who reject the mainstream narratives. These people are not buying into the ideological packaging that’s been served to them for years. They want sovereignty, strength, and sanity.
On the global stage, both Canada and Australia have firmly supported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His visit to Australia was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Politicians from all sides of Parliament lined up to shake his hand. Australia donated 30 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to Ukraine—many of which now lie burned-out and abandoned on the roadsides of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
Despite the optics, few believe Canadian or Australian troops will be deployed to Ukraine. The West’s support, while loud, remains symbolic. Zelenskyy’s image, once sharp and commanding in his signature olive-green fatigues, has dulled. His repeated appeals for aid and rhetorical defiance are now met with increasing scepticism.
Meanwhile, Russia has consolidated its hold on four Ukrainian oblasts—Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—along with Crimea. If no negotiated settlement is reached, there is every possibility Russia will push further eastward, perhaps to the Dnieper River. Their motivations are not ideological but strategic.
In summary, Canada and Australia seem to be marching down precarious paths. Canada, fragile and divided, may implode politically. Australia, self-assured and increasingly brash, may miscalculate the costs of its foreign policy posturing. In today’s volatile geopolitical environment, shouting into the wind may earn applause at home but come at a steep price abroad.
Let’s hope our American friends see the humour in our bluster—and don’t take us too seriously.
— Will Keys
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Great article Will. I think Labor will remain in power for the next six years.
Hi Ruti, thanks for the compliment. We agree with you and Australia may have shot itself in the foot. Fortunately the country is wealthy enough to roll with these punches.
Hi John Cowper. Thank you for the compliment. Your observations and comments are astute and probably spot on. I don’t think that DJT is entirely free to express his own true opinions in the face of geo-political realities and domestic considerations. As you point out when he does express an authentic opinion he is invariably right. The “51st state” comment was made by Trump in response to a statement made to him by Justin Trudeau. Trudeau said that American tariffs would bankrupt Canada. Trump replied “well become the 51st state”. It was Trudeau who then spread the word. Justin Trudeau is a prick. I trust Tulse Gabbard but a little suspicious of General Kelllogg. The fly in the oitment is Volodymyr Zelenskyy and distressingly so. NATO (with US support) led Ukraine up the garden path. Now the US wants to be seen as the mediator in its own messy dispute. I am DJT and MAGA but when it comes to Ukraine, the USA made a bloody mess of it.
In fairness, Trump is turning the United States into a corrupt, Communist Autocracy. History will prove that Australia and Canada chose wisely.
Hi Doug Brooks, you must have done service in the Rhodesian Special Branch, I’ve never heard such tripe.
Hi Chris Orr. Thank you.
Is because Australia is fairly isolated and the populace therefor take time to catch up with world politics and do they still harbour the belief that most Western societies are enamoured with Woke left policies? The swing back to sanity and a desire for sovereignty is on the rise but Aussies think not.
Hi A.Kynoch. I know there is some truth in all your observations. Some of my immediate Australia born family and some of our overall social set are depressingly parochial, internationally uninformed, globally misinformed and take their guidance and lead from the MSM and the ABC in Australia. They are extremely intolerant of Donald J. Trump and opine that I am a narcisist. I believe based on the fact that I support DJT and the MAGA Movement. The narcisist tag has only arisen since DJT / MAGA won election. I am hoping, maybe against hope, that the Australian educated classes will ameliorate their jaundiced attitudes.
Calling Trump “the village idiot” and having to deal with him on behalf of Oz. Clueless Albanese 😆. This time he has a tough and knowledgeable team behind him, and none tougher than Marco Rubio, his Secretary of State who handles Foreign Affairs, and is of Cuban descent. And VP Vance, born in poverty, an Ivy League graduate and Middle East veteran, who can down and dirty with any world leader. They have a chance to turn the US around amid fierce left wing opposition in most of the “civilized world”. China, Russia and Iran pale into insignificance compared to the opposition MAGA faces from internal far left organizations in Congress, Lawfare, Huge Companies, the MSM and Social media and external “Woke” leaders in virtually every first world country. “Net Zero” my arse!
Hi William Rickards. I agree with your observations and sentiments. As you rightly said “Net Zero, my arse”.
3 more years of Albosleazy the creepy woke Trotskyist!!! At least we’ve got rid of Adam Bandt the commie watermelon. Azi politicians are the most boring on the planet. I first came to Aziland in 81 when closet commie Malcolm Fraser was the PM. Mal was a big fan of Robert Mugarbage and thought Bob was a “freedom fighter”. I didn’t pay much attention to Politix in those days as I found it boring.
Hi Phill Scarrold. I invariably agree with your observations and opinions. I also migrated to Australia from Rhodesia in 1981. Let’s see if we can get together some time. .
I live in the Blue Mts NSW. Next time you’re in Sydney E mail me and I’ll catch up with you in Sydney for a brew.
My E mail address is philscarr@yahoo.com.au
Cheers,
Phil
Hi Phil Scarrold, I definitely will.
Good article
This is a very well written article Will – I heard an opinion voiced that Trump’s ill-considered comments about making Canada the 51st state alienated the 20% lead the Conservatives held before the election, thus returning the Liberals to power; an own goal if you will. Ignorant of how the Chinese value “face” another view is that he has hardened the resolve of 1.4billion of them with his insensitive ‘America is the greatest’ braggadocio … he overstates how superior his country is, hubris by any other name, and it is would behove his aspirations if he took huge chapters out of the Nixon Statecraft manual and applied them. Meanwhile, his love-in with Starmer and Ursula Van der Leyen, et al, in tandem with approving $500million of new weaponry to Ukraine somewhat belies his wishes of “stoping the killing” and sticks in the craw … but then doublespeak is part of his shtick, wouldn’t you agree? Thing with Trump, marketing genius aside, is he doesn’t read at all, so has to rely on conflicting advisers – when such are the likes of Gabbard and Witkoff, his decisions are tops: but then along come monkeys like Navarro and Kellogg, who seem to hold equal sway and negate all the good work. And that’s a worrisome problem and his Achilles Heel.
Hi Johm, Thanks for the excellent reply, in essence I agree with most of your general observations. I certainly don’t believe that DJT has a love-in relationship with perfridious Starmer and Van der Leyen. DJT keeps his friends close and his enemies even closer LOL. The 51st state comment was made in a closed conversatioin with idiot Justine Trudeau. Trudeau said that if the US applied reciprical tariffs, Canada would go bankrupt. DJT flippantly replied. “if that’s the case then Canada should become the 51st state”. Justine Trudeau’s team leaked the comment to the press, DJT could not deny it. Trudeau is a prick.