SYDNEY -- Australians go to the polls Saturday in a tightly-contested federal election, seeking a leader who will be tasked with addressing hot-button issues including the rising cost of living and the country's complex relations with China and the U.S.
The contest pits incumbent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his center-left Labor Party against the conservative Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Peter Dutton. The race has featured a dramatic turnaround of fortunes, with the Coalition slipping from its lead in the polls amid policy backtracks and blowback from perceived similarities between Dutton and U.S. President Donald Trump.
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