Anthony Albanese is going to be the next Prime Minister of Australia. Ending the nine-year rule of the conservative government, here’s everything you need to know about the new Australian PM from the labor party.
Anthony Albanese: All about the new Australian PM
Anthony Albanese, the 31st Prime Minister of the country comes from humble beginnings. He is the only child of a single mother who raised him on a pension. His win marks a change as the new government is formed by Australia’s Labor party along with the support of the Greens and climate-focused independents, ending nearly a decade-long conservative rule. He has pledged to improve the country’s international notion of being slow to act in the climate change movement.
He first stepped foot into politics at the tender age of 12. With a campaign that included a refusal for paying the council in a rent strike, he and his fellow public housing tenants were successful in fighting a local council proposal for selling properties. The move would have led to the doubling of rents. “As I grew up, I understood the impact that government had, can have, on making a difference in people’s lives. And in particular, to opportunity,” stated Albanese, shedding light on the important lessons from his formative years.
More on the humble beginnings
Albanese is a multicultural representative and the first candidate with a non-Anglo Celtic name to run for PM. Senator Penny Wong is going to be the new Foreign minister. “I think it’s good. Someone with a non-Anglo Celtic surname is the leader in the House of Representatives. And someone with a surname like Wong is the leader of the government in the Senate,” stated the new PM. “It says a lot about our great country that a son of a single mom who was a disability pensioner, who grew up in public housing down the road in Camperdown can stand before you tonight as Australia‘s prime minister,” he added.
As a young child, his mother lied about his father’s death to spare him from the scandal of being an illegitimate child in a working-class Roman Catholic family. While his mother told him the truth when he was 14, he did not search for his father since he didn’t want to hurt his mother. The father-son duo was untied in 2009 when Albanese was in Italy for meetings. “When you come from where I’ve come from, one of the advantages that you have is that you don’t get ahead of yourself. Everything in life’s a bonus,” he added.
How is he planning to change Australia?
During the six weeks of campaigning, Anthony Albanese spoke about various ideas he wishes to introduce and implement. “One of the ways that we increase our standing in the region, and in particular in the Pacific, is by taking climate change seriously,” he stated. He promised to start rebuilding trust when he attends the upcoming Quad meeting in Tokyo. He stated that he will be “completely consistent” with the current administration on China’s strategic competition. They are also planning to improve the nation’s foreign relations following the scandal and leaks by Morrison. The party’s campaign also emphasized financial support amidst skyrocketing housing prices, affordable childcare for working parents, better nursing home facilities, and more.
Albanese is planning to aggressively cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and work on climate change goals. The previous conservative administration maintained the 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. But, the Labor Party is predicting a cut as high as 43 percent. “Every parent wants more for the next generation than they had. My mother dreamt of a better life for me. And I hope that my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars,” he explained, showing that his tough beginnings shaped him into a man who led the center-left party to power for the first time since 2007.
