MELBOURNE – Australians began voting Tuesday in general elections as the death of Pope Francis led to a cancellation of campaign events.
Polling stations opened to voters who, for a variety of reasons, will be unable to vote on May 3. Around half the votes are expected to be cast before then.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton canceled events out of respect for the late pontiff. Flags were flown at half-staff at government buildings across the country, where a 2021 census found 20% of the population was Catholic.
Albanese, who has described himself as a “flawed Catholic,” attended Mass in honor of the pope in Melbourne’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“I try not to talk about my faith in public,” he said. “At times like this, I think what people do is, they draw on who they are, and certainly my Catholicism is just a part of me."
Dutton, raised by a Catholic father and Protestant mother, attended Mass at Sydney's St. Mary's Cathedral.
“I don’t think it’s a day for overt politicking at all. I think that the day is best spent reflecting,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a place for the body blows of politics today. I think it’s a very different day from that."
But Albanese and Dutton, who leads the conservative Liberal Party, met in Sydney Tuesday night for the third televised leaders’ debate of the campaign.
Dutton accused Albanese of being a “weak leader” who was “loose with the truth” during the hour-long debate.
Albanese told Dutton: “You can go to personal abuse; that's a sign of desperation."
A fourth debate is planned Sunday.
Albanese’s center-left Labor Party is seeking a second three-year term.
The government held a narrow majority of 78 seats out of 151 in the House of Representatives, where parties form administrations during their first term. The lower chamber will shrink to 150 seats after the election due to redistributions.
The major parties are both predicting a close election result.