More online criminals are weaponising artificial intelligence to steal from Australian businesses, including using the technology to create deepfakes of employees’ voices and appearance.

Small and medium-sized businesses were at highest risk from the emerging trend, but almost all Australian organisations had encountered AI-based online attacks over the past year, a report has found.

Security firm SoSafe has released the findings in its Cybercrime Trends report, which also found Australia is one of the nations most often targeted by AI-generated attacks.

The warnings come one month after some of the nation’s biggest superannuation firms were hit with a co-ordinated online attack that saw $750,000 stolen from personal accounts.

Sydney animal vaccine firm Virbac has been regularly targeted by hackers who use AI to create realistic invoices.

Chris Mousley, a supply chain analytics specialist at the firm, said Virbac had been forced to educate staff and change its process for paying suppliers to avoid being robbed by cyber criminals.

“I get at least five to 10 of these a month and they’re extremely convincing commercial documents that look like pro-forma invoices,” Mr Mousley said.

“These are very specific documents and they’re AI-generated to look like companies we would deal with.”

The fake invoices were often for specific raw materials, he said, which indicated criminals were specifically targeting the firm and its industry.

AI software was not only being used to improve the grammar and apparent legitimacy of email scams, but to craft targeted and sophisticated attacks across different platforms, SoSafe human-centric security advocate Jacqueline Jayne said.

“We’ve had deepfakes using people’s voices to pretend to be someone on the phone and it is incredibly difficult, unless you have a code word, to be able to tell are we talking to (a colleague) or is this someone pretending to be her,” she said.

“It’s getting harder and harder to pick the difference.”

The Cybercrime Trends report, released in Friday, was prepared by research firm Censuswide and surveyed 500 IT workers across nine countries.

Despite their prevalence, only one-in-four IT workers rated their ability to detect AI-based attacks as “high”.

Most Australian organisations had experienced attacks delivered to workers’ personal devices such as phones and laptops, the report found.

Companies were also targeted by “multi-channel attacks” that used their email and social media accounts, messaging apps and voice calls.

Educating employees in how to detect deepfake scams would be vital to shutting down the attacks, particularly in small and medium-sized businesses that often did not deploy the same level of cybersecurity, Ms Jayne said.

“We’re going to see more AI-assisted and driven attacks in Australia and globally,” she told AAP.

“One way to address it is to think about what humans are doing, how they’re responding to (attacks), and how we can help them to think before they do anything.”

Companies needed to educate staff in how to scrutinise incoming communication carefully, Mr Mousley said.

This included looking for hints such as misspellings and different payment methods, and running credit checks on local firms.

“You can’t be complacent,” he said.

“We didn’t get any of these 12 months ago.”

New faces will be welcomed to the fold as Labor politicians come together for the first time since their emphatic victory at the federal election.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the caucus meeting in Canberra on Friday after his party’s landslide win.

The scale of the success has taken even senior Labor ministers by surprise, lending to a buoyant feeling among the party’s members.

A record number of women will be taking their seats in parliament, with women to outnumber men in the Labor partyroom.

At least 46 seats will be held by women in the Labor government out of a total of 150 in the House of Representatives.

More than a dozen new MPs will join the ranks after Labor increased its seats from 77 to at least 90 as the count continues.

Australian National University political historian Frank Bongiorno said Labor hadn’t had a victory this size since 1943.

“It’s a remarkable opportunity for the government to craft a legacy, which could extend even beyond this term,” he said.

“Governments don’t normally extend their majorities … you normally win your first election reasonably comfortably, and then you begin burning political capital straight away in that first term, and then often have to scrape a win the second time round.”

New Dickson MP Ali France has been hailed a “Labor legend” after she became the first person to unseat an opposition leader at an election with her defeat of Peter Dutton.

Former Tasmanian state opposition leader Rebecca White’s victory in Lyons has her among the contenders to be elevated to the ministry, expected to be unveiled on Monday ahead of a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday.

The depleted Liberals will hold a partyroom meeting on Tuesday to pick their new leader with Angus Taylor and Sussan Ley looming as the leading candidates.

Attracting women voters and candidates has been a major issue for the coalition.

The new women joining Labor’s ranks were to the party’s “major political advantage”, Professor Bongiorno said.

“We know that there will be women at the table, at the cabinet table, there’ll be women there in caucus when issues come up that are of particular interest to women,” he said.

“We know that women’s voices and women’s agency will be there.”

US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have announced a “breakthrough deal” on trade that leaves in place a 10 per cent tariff on goods imported from the United Kingdom while the UK agreed to lower its tariffs to 1.8 per cent from 5.1 per cent and provide greater access to US goods.

The agreement announced by Trump from the Oval Office marked the first since Trump triggered a global trade war with a barrage of levies on trading partners following his return to the White House in January.

“It opens up a tremendous market for us,” Trump said.

“This is a really fantastic, historic day,” Starmer said by teleconference.

The United States has been under pressure from investors to strike deals to de-escalate its tariff war after Trump’s often chaotic policymaking up-ended global trade with friends and foe alike, threatening to stoke inflation and start a recession.

Top US officials have engaged in a flurry of meetings with trading partners since the president on April 2 imposed a 10 per cent tariff on most countries, along with higher rates for many trading partners that were then suspended for 90 days.

The US has also imposed 25 per cent tariffs on autos, steel and aluminium, 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 145 per cent tariffs on China. 

US and Chinese officials are due to hold talks in Switzerland on Saturday.

With the UK economy struggling to grow, the tariffs had added to the pressure on his government.

Jaguar Land Rover paused its shipments to the US for a month and the government was forced to seize control of British Steel to keep it operating.

While seeking a deal with the US, the UK had refused to lower its food standards, which are closely aligned with the European Union. 

However, the UK’s farming trade union has said that some US producers who do not use growth hormones or antimicrobial washes could be given greater market access.

The status of the 10 per cent “baseline” tariff was unclear, as was a threatened tariff on the pharmaceutical industry which could damage AstraZeneca and GSK.

Initial news of an announcement sent shares in luxury car maker Aston Martin up 10 per cent while UK retailers with operations in the US including JD Sports and Primark owner AB Foods also rose.

Starmer’s government has been seeking to build new trading relationships post-Brexit with the US, China and the European Union without moving so far towards one bloc that it angers the others.

Economists and one FTSE 100 chief executive said the immediate economic effect of a tariff deal was likely to be limited but that trade agreements in general would help long-term growth. 

The UK struck a free trade agreement with India this week.

The Bank of England is cutting its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25 per cent amid concerns over the potential shock to global growth emanating from the tariff policies of the Trump administration.

The decision on Thursday was widely expected, though there was an array of opinion on the nine-member monetary policy committee, with two voting for a bigger half-point cut to four per cent, and two voting to hold rates.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey said inflationary pressures had continued to ease, paving the way for the fourth quarter-point rate cut since August.

The bank believed tariff increases by the US and other countries would weigh somewhat on British economic growth and push down on inflation, but stressed the outlook was unclear.

“The past few weeks have shown how unpredictable the global economy can be,” he said.

“That’s why we need to stick to a gradual and careful approach to further rate cuts. Ensuring low and stable inflation is our top priority.”

The decision is the first since US President Donald Trump made his tariff announcement in early April.

Though most tariffs were paused for 90 days following the ensuing market turmoil, including the 10 per cent baseline tariff applied to UK goods entering the US, the backdrop for the global economy remains highly uncertain.

Some of that uncertainty, with regard to the British economy, could be lifted later on Thursday when details of a trade deal between the US and the UK are announced.

At the very least, they are expected to lower the tariff burden.

Though the tariff burden may be eased, the biggest uncertainty facing the global economy is the potential for a US-China trade war, which would dampen economic growth everywhere.

The rate cut comes despite expectations that inflation will rise further above the bank’s two per cent target in coming months, from the current 2.6 per cent as a result of a raft of price increases in April, such as domestic energy and water bills, and firms passing on tax rises to consumers.

“While headline inflation is expected to rise in the near-term, we do not expect that to persist,” said Bailey, adding it would be back around target in two years’ time.

Unlike the Bank of England, and the European Central Bank, which in April also cut interest rates, the US Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged on Wednesday as its policymakers wait to see how Trump’s tariffs affect the US economy before making any moves.

World shares have inched higher, buoyed by US President Donald Trump’s promise of a first trade deal in his global tariff war – tipped to be Britain – while the dollar gained as markets pushed out the chance of near-term Fed rate cuts.

Traders were also limbering up for an expected Bank of England quarter-point rate cut later on Thursday.

Sweden and Norway had already left their rates steady, but both hinted at future cuts given all the global uncertainty.

Europe’s main stock markets opened higher, led by a one per cent rise from Germany’s export-heavy DAX and a 0.3 per cent gain for London’s FTSE, plus a similar lift for sterling against the euro, on the trade deal signals.

US President Donald Trump posted on social media that he would hold an Oval Office media conference on a “major trade deal with representatives of a big, and highly respected, country”.

Wall Street futures were up nearly one per cent, too, but economists are eager to see the deal’s details later and whether the baseline 10 per cent tariff Trump has slapped on all countries up until now can be negotiated away.

Investors are also anxiously awaiting planned talks between US and Chinese officials in Switzerland on Saturday, which could mark the first step in dialling down the damaging trade war between the world’s top two economies.

Markets were still digesting the Federal Reserve’s decision to leave US interest rates in the 4.25 per cent to 4.5 per cent range for a third straight meeting and its warning that the stagflationary risks of higher inflation and higher unemployment had risen.

Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed was still in “a good place” in terms of its policy, given that it was not clear if the US economy would continue its steady growth or wilt under mounting uncertainty and a possible spike in inflation.

In the bond markets, 10-year US Treasury yields edged up 2 bps at 4.29 per cent, while Germany’s 10-year yield – the euro area’s benchmark – also rose fractionally to 2.48 per cent.

The Fed’s wait-and-see message also gave the dollar index a lift.

After a brief wobble in Asia, it regained traction to sit 0.5 per cent higher in Europe at just above the psychological 100 points threshold.

Trade deal hopes also saw Britain’s pound climb as much as 0.5 per cent, although it eased back slightly to $US1.3315 as the focus turned to the Bank of England’s widely expected quarter-point rate cut later.

Overnight in Asia, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan had ended down 0.3 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.4 per cent and Chinese blue chips rose 0.5 per cent as they continued to recover ground lost since Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs last month.

Wall Street had seen a late rally too after reports that the Trump administration was planning to rescind and modify a Joe Biden-era rule that curbed the export of sophisticated artificial-intelligence chips.

Nvidia shares jumped 3 per cent although Google’s parent firm Alphabet suffered a 7.2 per cent tumble on reports that Apple is readying a new artificial-intelligence enhanced web browser.

In commodities markets, the brighter trade deal sentiment lifted oil prices after they had fallen more than $US1 on Wednesday. US crude futures rose 0.7 per cent to $US58.50 a barrel while Brent was at $US61.50 per barrel, up 0.6 per cent on the day.

Gold prices rose 0.3 per cent to $US3,374.5 an ounce amid the uncertainties about Fed policy outlook, but still short of its record high of $US3,500.

Woodside’s annual general meeting has been disrupted by noisy protesters furious about a perceived lack of progress on climate change.

The oil and gas giant’s chief executive Meg O’Neill tried to drown out protesters with repeated promotional and sponsorship videos, as the activists blew high-pitched sport whistles during her opening remarks.

“We are not inclined to tolerate disruptions. We’re happy to field your questions, though we’ve got plenty of those videos,” Ms O’Neill told the meeting.

“Let’s show that (Fremantle) Dockers video again.”

The chief asked to cut to the promotional videos several times as protesters were removed.

“Well, I wish folks would have watched that video, because it really illustrates the point we’re trying to make,” Ms O’Neill said.

Woodside chair Richard Goyder later interrupted and called an end to questions on climate issues from environmental groups and concerned shareholders.

“I reckon we’ve given environmental issues a really good go today, so I’m not proposing to take any questions on that,” Mr Goyder said.

“Are there any questions from general retail shareholders in the room?”

In his opening address, Mr Goyder defended Woodside’s sustainability goals.

“We have not walked back from our climate targets and commitments,” he said.

“As outlined in our 2024 climate update, we are making good progress towards the targets we have set.” 

The Conservation Council of WA called the move to cut off environmental questions “a slap in the face to shareholders and West Australians”.

“The lack of transparency and accountability reflected Woodside’s complete disregard for the growing tide of community push-back against its ongoing pursuit of new gas developments and poor environmental track record,” executive director Matt Roberts said.

Almost 20 per cent of shareholders voted against the re-election of director Ann Pickard, who is also chair of Woodside’s sustainability committee.

Just over 15 per cent voted against the adoption of the renumeration report. 

The pattern of investor dissent indicated a serious governance problem at Woodside, Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility lead analyst Alex Hillman said.

“It is time for Ann Pickard to step aside as chair of the sustainability committee – not only does she not have the support of nearly 20 per cent of investors, but she has overseen two climate plans that have failed to win the support of investors,” Mr Hillman said. 

“Alarmingly though, looking at the current board it is hard to see a director sufficiently qualified to take on this critical leadership role … which speaks to the weakness of this Woodside board on managing climate risk.”

Multiple environmental groups, proxy advisors and larger investors had called for shareholders to oppose Ms Pickard’s re-election.

Ms Pickard said the sustainability chair role wasn’t “the most popular job” and noted it would be her last term on the board.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in climate change impact assessments,” she told the meeting.

“That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a big supporter of liquefied natural gas, as I see gas as a superb fuel to help transition us to a non-carbon world in the future and in the community.”

Market Forces senior analyst Brett Morgan said some investors had shown conviction by opposing Woodside’s growth strategy.

“Others are falling for corporate greenwash and failing to pressure the company to rein in its rampant expansion plans,” he said.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter called on shareholders to reject Woodside’s plans to drill in Scott Reef off Western Australia’s coast.

He said it would turn the reef into an industrial gas zone, threatening nesting sea turtles and endangered pygmy blue whales.

In April, Woodside announced it would forge ahead with a $US17.5 billion ($A27.2 billion) Louisiana liquefied natural gas project, which it said would not impact its greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Enough wind, solar and batteries to power 2.7 millions of homes at peak generation have been given the go-ahead to connect to new power lines.

Clean energy and storage projects totalling more than 7.15 gigawatts capacity have been granted access to the renewable energy zone in NSW’s central west.

The agreements are enough to power more than half the homes in Australia’s most populous state by 2031, during peak periods, as it winds down dependence on coal.

NSW Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone connections would secure billions of dollars of private investment.

“By unlocking new renewable capacity and enhancing battery storage, we are making our power grid more reliable and putting downward pressure on bills.”

Governments identify zones for big renewables projects to plan efficiently for the poles and wires needed to transport the electricity to homes and businesses.

Projects must have access rights before they can connect to transmission infrastructure.

NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said the new connections “miss the mark”.

“It’s all well and good to acknowledge 10 projects have now got an access agreement. But there’s no recognition of the dozens of other projects in the region that don’t, and which continue to cause anger and unrest,” he said.

He said there were somewhere between 50 and 60 projects proposed for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone and most of those were looking at tapping into existing powerlines.

“The cumulative impact is not being taken into consideration in any way, shape, or form by this government,” he said.

Clean energy proponents celebrated Thursday’s announcement, which followed a resounding election win for Federal Labor committed to chasing its 82 per cent renewable energy target.

Climate Councillor and energy expert Greg Bourne said NSW was making progress on its energy transition by strategically building out connections between projects and transmission infrastructure via renewable energy zones. 

“Growing our wind and solar generation capacity is integral to fortifying Australia’s energy mix as polluting coal use declines,” he said.

NSW’s biggest power station, the Origin Energy-owned 2.88-gigawatt Eraring plant, was set to close this year but that was delayed for two years under a deal with the state government to avoid potential power shortages and price spikes.

The latest numbers from the Australian Energy Market Operator had renewables contributing 43 per cent of energy mix to the main grid in the first three months of 2025, up from 39 per cent over same period in 2024.

Shares in Australia’s fourth-largest bank have fallen after its first-half earnings missed investor expectations.

ANZ posted a cash profit of $3.6 billion, which was flat on the previous corresponding period, on the back of a five per cent jump in revenue to almost $11 billion.

Shares in the big four bank had fallen 2.1 per cent to $29.34 by mid-afternoon, as investors responded to the results by hitting the sell button.

Outgoing chief executive Shayne Elliott played up the result, which in percentage terms has topped its rivals Westpac and National Australia Bank.

“As I hand over to our incoming CEO Nuno Matos, the bank is well placed for the future,” he said on Thursday.

“Our strong balance sheet, along with our diversified portfolio, leaves the bank well placed to navigate ongoing volatility.”

The bank posted cash earnings per share of 120.1 cents, a 13 per cent improvement on the equivalent 2024 half and a 10.2 per cent return on equity as it announced an 83-cent dividend, 70 per cent franked.

ANZ’s results for the first time included the earnings of Suncorp Bank, which it bought in July.

ANZ said it now has more than one million customers, with deposits of more than $20 billion.

KPMG analysis of Australia’s major banks found they reported a combined profit after tax of $15.5 billion, up 3.5 per cent compared with the first half of 2024, and up 4.3 per cent on the previous half.

The results indicated the big four’s steady performance, KPMG Australia’s banking and capital markets head David Heathcote said.

“While profits and revenue continue to grow, the results demonstrate the challenge faced by the majors of ongoing competition amongst themselves and other lending institutions together with operating cost pressures,” he said.

The big four’s $22.7 billion in operating expenses had increased by 6.2 per cent compared with the first half of 2024 and 2.9 per cent compared with the second half, due mostly to personnel and technology expenses, KPMG said.

ANZ chief Mr Elliott stressed the “future of global conditions is uncertain and there will continue to be periods of increased volatility”.

His warning mimicked those made by the chief executives of Westpac and NAB earlier this week.

The uncertainty is being driven by the United States, after President Donald Trump imposed large tariffs on goods imports from countries around the world, including Australia, sparking threats of retaliation.

The unpredictable way the Trump administration is managing its punitive tariffs regime has sparked warnings by major American investment banks about a US and subsequent global recession.

Westpac on Monday posted a one per cent fall in first-half earnings to $3.3 billion. National Australia Bank delivered interim earnings of $3.6 billion, up one per cent, on Wednesday.

ANZ ‘s first-half dividend of 83 cents per share comes up against 76 cents for Westpac and 85 cents for NAB.

Oil and gas producer Woodside’s annual general meeting has been disrupted by noisy protesters amid scrutiny over the company’s environmental record.

Chief executive and managing director Meg O’Neill deferred to promotional and sponsorship videos as protesters repeatedly blew high-pitched sport whistles during her opening remarks for Woodside’s AGM at Crown Towers in Perth.

“Look, as Richard said, we are not inclined to tolerate disruptions. We’re happy to field your questions, though we’ve got plenty of those videos,” Ms O’Neill told the meeting.

“Let’s show that (Fremantle) Dockers video again.”

The chief asked to cut to the promotional videos several times as protesters were removed.

“Well, I wish folks would have watched that video, because it really illustrates the point we’re trying to make,” Ms O’Neill said.

Chair Richard Goyder heaped wry criticism on the activists when he took the stand ahead of shareholder votes.

“I trust those who disrupted the meeting had their lights and air conditioning and pool filters and everything else off at 6.30pm on the 20th of January this year,” he said.

The chair was referring to a record heatwave in summer that caused a massive spike in energy demand, and LNG to become the primary source of electricity supply.

“No doubt, they’ll all be walking home, so you might want to give them a lift,” he said.

Almost 20 per cent of shareholders voted against the re-election of director Ann Pickard, who is also chair of Woodside’s sustainability committee.

Multiple environmental groups, proxy advisors and larger investors had called for shareholders to vote against keeping Ms Pickard on the board.

“Given the ongoing pattern of significant shareholder opposition to the company’s climate strategy, we would expect a more robust response from both management and the board,” proxy advisory services company Glass Lewis wrote in a paper on Woodside.

Ms Pickard said the sustainability chair role wasn’t “the most popular job”, and noted it would be her last term on the board.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in climate change impact assessments,” she told the meeting.

“That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a big supporter of liquefied natural gas, as I see gas as a superb fuel to help transition us to a non-carbon world in the future and in the community.”

Market Forces senior analyst Brett Morgan said most investors had failed to pressure the company on its climate plan.

“Some investors have demonstrated conviction by opposing Woodside’s polluting oil and gas growth strategy but others are falling for corporate greenwash and failing to pressure the company to rein in its rampant expansion plans,” he said.

“Most Australians want real climate action and it’s high time all of our super funds demand an end to Woodside’s dangerous oil and gas expansion plans.”

Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter was calling on shareholders to reject Woodside’s plans to drill in Scott Reef off West Australia’s coast.

“Woodside’s planned Browse gas field would entail drilling up to 50 wells as close as two kilometres from Scott Reef, home to nesting sea turtles, endangered pygmy blue whales and dusky sea snakes.

“Woodside wants to turn Scott Reef into an industrial gas zone.”

In April, Woodside announced it would forge ahead with a $US17.5 billion ($A27.2 billion) Louisiana liquefied natural gas project, which it said would not impact its greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Two senior ministers are expected to lose their positions in a new-look lineup as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns Labor MPs against focusing too heavily on themselves.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is set to be axed by his Victorian right faction colleagues in favour of Sam Rae, a key ally of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.

Industry Minister Ed Husic is also on the chopping block to rebalance the ledger between Victoria and NSW.

Labor’s ministry and cabinet are carved up between the states and the left and right factions, based on their proportion of seats.

The more progressive left, from which Mr Albanese hails, has edged ahead of the right after the election, with more of its candidates winning seats.

But the ministry quota system has sparked an internal fight between Victorians and their NSW counterparts as the former want an extra seat at the table.

New blood in the ministry will likely include Tim Ayres from NSW and Ged Kearney and Daniel Mulino from Victoria.

Labor will hold its first caucus on Friday and the new-look cabinet is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday.

Mr Albanese says Labor must approach its second term with humility and solidarity.

“No individual is greater than the collective and that includes myself,” he told Sky News on Thursday.

“When you’re focused inwards, the electorate will mark you down.”

The Liberals and Greens also need to endorse new leaders with Peter Dutton voted out and Adam Bandt projected to lose his seat.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and deputy leader Sussan Ley are locked in a numbers battle for the Liberal leadership.

Party warrior and ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has backed Ms Ley, saying the Liberals need a woman in the top job.

“She has experience, she’s been a loyal deputy but it’s time for the Liberal party to have a different perspective on life and that I think would come through a female,” he told ABC radio on Thursday.

Mr Kennett also slammed the coalition election campaign.

“The nicest word I could use would be disappointing – it could be a lot more extreme,” he said.

Former opposition leader Mr Dutton, who lost his seat of Dickson in Queensland, arrived in Canberra on Wednesday to clear out his parliamentary office.

He has so far refused to weigh in on his replacement, saying it was best that former leaders “maintain a graceful silence”.

Regardless of the Liberal leader, the shadow cabinet makeup is likely to remain the same despite concerns the Nationals could be forced to demote a member due to the new balance of seats within the coalition.

The junior coalition partner makes up about one-third of the party room and while some seats are too close to call, they retain most of their members after a string of Liberal losses.

This means the Nationals are likely to keep their seven shadow cabinet spots and maintain their influence in key policy areas, after being previously over-represented.

The Nationals will also need to find a new deputy leader, with Perin Davey set to lose her NSW Senate spot.

No one has officially announced a tilt, but NSW MP Kevin Hogan and senators Bridget McKenzie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price have been raised as potential deputies.

Nationals MPs will hold a caucus meeting in Canberra on Monday but a date is yet to be set for the Liberals meeting, with more than half a dozen seats too close to call.

Nationals leader David Littleproud retained his seat but needs to be endorsed again as the party spills all leadership roles after each election.

He is expected to keep his job.