Australian Federal Election, 2038 (The Realignment)

The 2038 Australian Federal Election was a parliamentary election that took place on 11 December 2038 to determine the members of the Australian Parliament for 2038-2041.

The election was marred with both political and social upheaval that followed in the wake of a world wide depression. Hitting Australia hard, the depression saw a major decline in popularity for the Labor party, now led by Stephen Douglas following the retirement of Prime Minister Tony Burke on 2 March.

The two other major parties (the Liberal Nationals and the Australian Nationalists) both attempted to combat the depression in two distinct ways. The Liberal Nationals attempted to bolster trade and economic co-operation with countries that weren't affected by the economic collapse; whilst the Australian Nationalist, led by their newly elected leader Andrew Burges following the death of Jim Saleam in early 2037, persuaded many voters that it was immigrants and foreigners that truly led to the collapse of the economy, and argued for more protectionist policies.

Both of these tactics worked in the campaign season, however, both parties split the vote, winning a total of 48 seats each, resulting in the first hung parliament since the 2010 election. Following a number of deals with the independents in the House of Representatives, Barton gained their support, winning the election, becoming the first women prime minister in 25 years, and the first Liberal National leader since Tony Abbott in 2021.