Canberra: Labor Party leader and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday claimed a majority in the parliament, with over 45% of the votes counted, according to local media. This marks a second historic term since 2004, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, Albanese expressed his commitment to serving the country by stating, "And to serve these values, meet these challenges, these opportunities, and build that better and stronger future -- Australians have chosen a majority Labor government," during his speech at the Labor Headquarters. He emphasized that the government would return to work immediately, saying, "From tomorrow -- back at work." Albanese also highlighted that "repaying" people's trust would be the driving force for his government "each and every day of the next three years."

The Prime Minister extended his gratitude to the candidates, with a special mention of Ali France, who achieved a significant victory by defeating opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton in his Dickson seat. The polling process began at 8 am local time (2200GMT Friday), engaging over 18 million registered voters as part of Australia's compulsory voting system.

As the vote count exceeded 45%, the Labor Party was leading with over 80 seats in the House of Representatives, surpassing the 76-seat majority required to form a government. In an unexpected development, Dutton lost his Queensland seat of Dickson, marking the first time in Australian history that an opposition leader has lost their seat in a general election, according to projections by the ABC. Dutton reportedly conceded the seat to Labor's Ali France at the Liberal Party headquarters, ABC reported.

Dutton addressed party members, acknowledging the shortcomings of their campaign by stating, "Now, we didn't do well enough during this campaign. That much is obvious tonight and I accept full responsibility." The Liberal leader had previously faced widespread backlash for Islamophobic remarks, including labeling Muslim political candidates as 'disaster,' and some of his party candidates were accused of attempting to replicate US President Donald Trump's political strategies in Australia.