Anthony Albanese on Saturday secured a second term as Australia’s prime minister, becoming the first leader in 21 years to guide his party to back-to-back election victories.
The last to achieve that feat was John Howard, who won his fourth consecutive term in 2004.
This win marks a major personal and political milestone for Albanese, who has often spoken about his modest beginnings.
Albanese was raised by a single mother in public housing in Sydney and is now at the centre of Australia’s political stage.
“There’s a lot of undecided voters. We have a mountain to climb. No one’s been reelected since 2004,” Albanese said on the eve of the election.
‘No Australian left behind’
Albanese’s life story has resonated with many Australians. His mother was an invalid pensioner, and they lived in public housing, which shaped his views on fairness and opportunity. His campaign pledge has always been clear: to leave no Australian behind.
His government’s early priority was holding a referendum in 2023 to create an Indigenous advisory body to Parliament, known as the Voice. Though the proposal was rejected, it was a historic attempt to address the long-standing disadvantage faced by Indigenous Australians, who make up 4% of the population.
Critics have accused his government of being out of touch with ordinary Australians during a period of rising inflation.
Net-zero energy policy
One of the biggest differences between Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party and the conservative Liberal Party is their energy policy. Both agree on reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but Labor wants to replace fossil fuel power with renewable energy. The Liberals, meanwhile, support building nuclear reactors.
Albanese has presented himself as a moderniser focused on making government more efficient and fair.
Political system
Since Howard left office in 2007, Australia has had six different prime ministers. Some, like Kevin Rudd, even served twice. For years, it was common for parties to replace their leaders before the next election.
That started to change in 2013, when Rudd returned as leader and made it harder to remove a sitting Labor prime minister. Now, 75% of Labor MPs must agree to a change, and regular party members also get a vote. The Liberal Party has made similar rule changes to slow down leadership challenges.
Because of these reforms, Albanese is now the first prime minister since Howard to finish a full term and win a second one.
Marriage
Albanese is engaged to Jodie Haydon and plans to become the first Australian prime minister to marry while in office. He proposed on Valentine’s Day last year. But the couple delayed the wedding, worried it might seem out of touch during a cost-of-living crisis. Albanese now says they’ll marry after the election and before the end of the year.
Their purchase of a A$4.3 million ($2.7 million) home by the water at Copacabana Beach also drew attention, especially as many Australians are struggling to afford housing.
“I understand I’m fortunate. I also know what it is like to struggle,” Albanese said, addressing the criticism.
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