MELBOURNE, Australia — Ahead of Australia’s general election on Saturday, one party had campaigned on the idea that politics and the economy were rigged in favor of the elites. The center-right coalition, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, remained in power against the opposition Labor party, which had led in every poll for years. There was nothing in Mr. Morrison’s election pitch, perhaps other than continued support for coal mining, that seemed particularly aimed at rousing right-wing voters. No, the lesson from Australia’s election isn’t that this country is right-wing but that it’s conservative — as in cautious. Stagnating wages following the decline of a mining boom have meant that many Australians are facing financial stress.

Source: New York Times May 20, 2019 19:07 UTC