- Tiffanie Turnbull
- BBC correspondent from Sydney
Last updated: 14 minutes ago
Anthony Albanese will become Australia’s next prime minister after leading the Labor Party to its first federal election victory in a decade.
One of the country’s most senior politicians, he promised voters a “safe change” as he ran for the election vowing to oust the conservative Liberal-National coalition that has been in power since 2013 main campaign slogan.
The defeated incumbent, Scott Morrison, described himself as a “bulldozer”, while Albanese vowed to be a “builder”.
With Australia’s states isolated from each other and cities torn apart by strict lockdowns for more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, fostering unity is a priority for the new leader.
“I want to bring Australians together. I want to seek our common purpose of advancing unity and optimism, not fear and division,” Albanese said in his victory speech on Saturday night.
Who is Albanese?
To the outside world, Albanese is seen as a defender of Australia’s public healthcare system, an advocate for the rights of the LGBT community (LGBT is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Avid fan of republican and rugby union.
Australia’s new prime minister, 59, nicknamed “Albo”. He was raised by a single mother who received disability allowances in a government low-rent housing environment. He has often stated that his upbringing is the basis for his beliefs about progressive issues.
As a child, Albanese thought his father had died before he was born. But as a teenager, he learned that his biological father, a married man his mother had met while traveling in Europe, was probably still alive.
Thirty years later, he found Carlo Albanese and flew to Italy to meet his biological father for the first time, as well as his half-siblings.
Albanese said his mother, Maryanne Ellery, was determined to make sure he had opportunities she never had. With his mother’s support, Albanese became the first member of the family to complete school and graduate from college.
Albanese also said that building a better world for his son Nathan has always inspired his public engagement.
Albanese separated from his wife of 19 years in 2019, but his partner Jodie Haydon joined her in the campaign.
25 years of parliamentary career
Albanese has been Labour leader for three years. He took over after former Labor leader Bill Shorten suffered a crushing defeat in that year’s federal election in 2019.
However, he has been a stalwart of Labour since his 20s. He worked in the Australian federal and state governments before being elected to a seat in Sydney on his 33rd birthday in 1996.
In 2007, when Labour came to power under Kevin Rudd, Albanese became infrastructure and transport secretary.
After Labour replaced Rudd as prime minister by Julia Gillard in 2010, the party entered a period of turmoil, but Albanese remained an influential figure in the party.
When Mr Rudd recaptured the premiership in 2013, Albanese’s popularity saw him elevated to deputy prime minister. However, he was only in office for 10 weeks due to Labour’s subsequent general election defeat.
Subsequently, Albanese nominated himself as the leader of the Labour Party. But despite being popular among the general Labour Party, rival Bill Shorten has more support among MPs to become Australia’s opposition leader. But Mr Albanese’s era finally came in 2019 after Mr Shorten later lost two general elections and left the Labour leadership.
Will be the 31st Prime Minister of Australia
Albanese has always been the leader of the left wing of Labour, but since becoming Labour leader, he has moved his position closer to the centre.
In this election, Albanese went to great lengths to prove he was not a “not woke”, aiming to win over conservative voters who abandoned Labour in the 2019 election. That includes him withdrawing support for a more aggressive climate policy, while making tougher rhetoric on China and national security.
He also supports some of Australia’s controversial policies, such as denying any asylum seekers arriving by boat, contrary to his previously public positions.
In addition, he has also started to lose weight in recent years, and his body shape has changed. He thinks a car accident in 2021 has given him a healthy wake-up call.
However, Albanese is still sticking to his Labour roots. He promised massive funding for the country’s struggling aged care sector, cheaper childcare and vowed to revive manufacturing.
Labour has also pledged to hold a referendum to amend the constitution and set up a parliamentary advisory group “Indigenous Voice to Parliament” to engage the country’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in matters related to their land. decision making. Albanese reiterated that commitment in his victory speech.
Another key commitment he made was, using his own upbringing as an example, to vow not to leave any Australian behind growing up.
“It speaks to the fact that our great country, the son of a single mother on disability pension, raised in social housing, can also be the Prime Minister of Australia tonight, standing before you,” Albanese said.
“I want Australia to continue to be a country where no matter where you live, who you adore or love, or even your last name, these are not going to stand in the way of your life’s journey.”
“Hopefully my life journey will inspire Australians to move towards their dreams,” he said.