Interesting how the govts are referred to as leftist. The US has a leftist govt (if you listen to them, especially the Republicans), Australia has a leftist party in power (in theory) and Britain and half of Europe. International newspapers never refer to them as leftist. Maybe the right wing extremists do.

They seem classically Left to me, as in `looking after the lower orders`, as opposed to looking after big business and the interests of the wealthy ?

That is what socialism is about. Most of the people involved in the govts have had enough exposure to poverty to know what it is. Makes a difference.