Following this, Albanese stood for leadership of the Labor Party againstBill Shorten in aleadership election. Although Albanese won a large majority of the membership, Shorten received more support from Labor MPs and became leader. Shorten subsequently appointed Albanese to his Shadow Cabinet. After Labor's surprise defeat in the2019 election, Shorten resigned as leader, with Albanese becoming the only person nominated in theleadership election to replace him; he was subsequently elected unopposed as leader of the Labor Party, becomingLeader of the Opposition.[5][6] He led the party to the2022 election, where it was victorious overScott Morrison'sLiberal–National Coalition.[7][8][9][10] He was sworn in on 23 May 2022.[11][12]
Albanese was born on 2 March 1963 atSt Margaret's Hospital in the Sydney suburb ofDarlinghurst.[16][17] He is the son of Carlo Albanese and Maryanne Ellery[18] (1936–2002).[19][20] His mother was Australian, while hisItalian father was fromBarletta,Apulia. His parents met in March 1962 on a voyage from Sydney toSouthampton, England, on theSitmar Line's TSSFairsky, where his father worked as a steward, but did not continue their relationship afterwards, going their separate ways.[21][22][23] Albanese's mother adopted Carlo's surname for herself and named Anthony after his cousin Anthony Howett, who had died in a car accident in Northern New South Wales four years earlier.[24][25]
Growing up, Albanese was told that his father had died in a car accident; he did not meet his father, who was in fact still alive, until 2009.[21] He made contact with his father in 2009, visiting him a number of times in Italy, and also took his family there. His father died in 2014.[26] He subsequently discovered that he had two half-siblings.[22][23] During theAustralian parliamentary eligibility crisis of 2017, it was noted that, although birth to an Italian father would ordinarily confercitizenship by descent, Albanese had no father recorded on his birth certificate and thus meets the parliamentary eligibility requirements ofsection 44 of the Constitution.[27]
Childhood and education
Albanese grew up with his mother and maternal grandparents in aSydney City Council home in theInner West suburb ofCamperdown, opposite theCamperdown Children's Hospital.[28] His grandfather died in 1970, and the following year his mother married James Williamson. He was given his stepfather's surname, but the marriage lasted only ten weeks, as Williamson proved to be an abusive alcoholic.[29] Albanese's mother worked part-time as a cleaner but suffered from chronicrheumatoid arthritis, with the family living on her disability pension and his grandmother's age pension.[30]
Albanese attended St Joseph's Primary School in Camperdown[31] and thenSt Mary's Cathedral College.[32] While at school, he worked part-time selling newspapers.[33] He captained St Mary's on several episodes of the children's game showIt's Academic in 1978.[34] Albanese joined theAustralian Labor Party (ALP) in 1979 at the age of 15, as a member ofYoung Labor.[25][35] He subsequently helped found a Labor Club at his high school.[36]
After finishing school, Albanese worked briefly at theCommonwealth Bank before enrolling in an economics degree at theUniversity of Sydney.[37] There, he became involved in student politics and was elected to theStudents' Representative Council (SRC).[38][39][40] He stood unsuccessfully for the SRC presidency in 1983, losing toBelinda Neal.[41] It was also there where he started his rise as a key player in the ALP'sLabor Left.[42] During his time in student politics, Albanese led a group within Young Labor that was aligned with the left faction's Hard Left, which maintained "links with broader left-wing groups, such as theCommunist Party of Australia, People for Nuclear Disarmament and theAfrican National Congress".[43]
Pre-parliamentary career and travel
After completing his economics degree in 1984,[44] Albanese took on a role as a research officer to the thenMinister for Local Government andAdministrative Services,Tom Uren, who became a mentor to him.[45] In 1989, the position of Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales branch of theLabor Party became vacant whenJohn Faulkner was elected to theSenate. The election to replace him was closely disputed between the Labor Left's Hard Left and Soft Left groupings, with Albanese being elected with the backing of the Hard Left, taking on that role for the next six years.[43] In 1995, he left the position to work as a senior adviser toNew South Wales PremierBob Carr.[16]
In 1990, Albanese bought a semi-detached two-bedroom house in the Inner West Sydney suburb ofMarrickville.[44]
Early political career
Entry to Parliament
Albanese shortly after his election to Parliament
WhenJeannette McHugh announced she would not seek re-election in her seat ofGrayndler at the1996 election, Albanese won preselection for the seat. The campaign was a difficult one, with aircraft noise a big political issue following the opening of the third runway atSydney Airport, and the newly establishedNo Aircraft Noise party (NAN) having polled strongly in the local area at the1995 New South Wales election. Veteran political punditMalcolm Mackerras predicted NAN would win the seat. However, NAN's candidate finished third, with less than 14% of the vote. Despite suffering a six-point swing against Labor, Albanese was elected with a comfortable 16-point margin.[54]
In his maiden speech to theHouse of Representatives, Albanese spoke about the building of a third runway atSydney Airport, aircraft noise and the need to build a second airport to service Sydney, as well as his support for funding public infrastructure in general,multiculturalism,native title, thesocial wage and childcare. He concluded by saying, "For myself, I will be satisfied if I can be remembered as someone who will stand up for the interests of my electorate, for working-class people, for the labour movement, and for our progressive advancement as a nation into the next century."[54]
This last issue became a cause to which he was particularly dedicated. In 1998 he unsuccessfully moved a private member's bill that would have given same-sex couples the same rights to superannuation as de facto heterosexual couples.[58] Over the next nine years, he tried three more times without success, until the election of the Rudd government in 2007 saw the legislation passed.[59] Albanese subsequently turned his attention to campaigning for same-sex marriage.[60]
Appointment to Shadow Cabinet
Albanese in 2005
In 1998, Albanese was appointed a parliamentary secretary, a position which assists ministers and shadow ministers and is often a stepping stone to a full ministerial position.[61]
In 2001, Albanese was promoted to the oppositionShadow Cabinet, taking the portfolio of ageing and seniors. A 2002 reshuffle saw him become Shadow Minister for Employment Services and Training, and in 2004 he became Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage.[16] It was during this latter role that then prime ministerJohn Howard and science ministerBrendan Nelson started raising the idea ofnuclear power for Australia. Albanese campaigned strongly against them, as well as elements within his own party, arguing that "Nuclear energy doesn't add up economically, environmentally or socially, and after more than 50 years of debate, we still do not have an answer to nuclear proliferation or nuclear waste."[62][63]
In 2005, Albanese was given the additional role of Shadow Minister for Water alongside his existing responsibilities, and was also appointed Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House. In December 2006, whenKevin Rudd first became Leader of the Labor Party, Albanese took over fromJulia Gillard asManager of Opposition Business in the House, a senior tactical role on the floor of the parliament, and was appointed Shadow Minister for Water and Infrastructure.[16]
The Labor Party had gone to the election criticising the previous government for ignoring "long-term nation building in favour of short-term political spending".[65] One of Albanese's first moves as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport was the establishment of an independent statutory body,Infrastructure Australia, to advise the Government on infrastructure priorities. Armed with advice from this independent body and his own persuasive skills in the Cabinet, he was able to argue for a doubling of the roads budget and a tenfold increase in rail investment.[66] The establishment of Infrastructure Australia was regarded by many as a success; projects delivered through the Infrastructure Australia process included Melbourne'sRegional Rail Link, theHunter Expressway, theIpswich Motorway, the Gold Coast light rail systemG:link, theRedcliffe Peninsula railway line, the extension of theNoarlunga Centre railway line toSeaford, South Australia and various projects along thePacific Highway in NSW andBruce Highway in Queensland.[67]
Gillard government
Albanese at the opening of the Holbrook Bypass in 2013
AfterJulia Gillard replaced Rudd as prime minister following theleadership spill in June 2010 she retained Albanese in his roles.[68] Following the2010 election, which resulted in ahung parliament, Albanese was a key player in negotiating the support of independent membersTony Windsor andRob Oakeshott through his role of Leader of the House. Albanese was also responsible for managing legislation through the House in the first hung parliament since the 1940s.[69]
In 2011, Albanese introduced two more major policy reforms. The first on urban planning drew on the work of Danish designerJan Gehl and set out plans for urban design with better transport links and safety.[70] The second, on shipping, was notable for gaining the approval of both the conservative Australian Shipowners Associations and the radicalMaritime Union of Australia.[71] However, he also attracted controversy when a convoy of trucks from North Queensland dubbed the "convoy of no confidence" descended on Canberra'sParliament House to protest against rising fuel costs andcarbon pricing. During question time, Albanese labelled the protesters outside as "the convoy of no consequence". This caused outrage among supporters of the protest and a week later a public rally in support of the truckies was held outside Albanese's electorate office inMarrickville,New South Wales.[72]
Following a series of poor polls, leadership instability descended again on the Labor government. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd resigned asMinister for Foreign Affairs in February 2012 tounsuccessfully challenge Julia Gillard for the leadership.[73][74] Shortly before the ballot, Albanese came out in support of Rudd, stating that he had always been unhappy with the manner of Rudd's removal.[75] He tearfully explained how he had offered his resignation as Leader of the House to the prime minister, but that she had refused to accept it, and called on Labor to cease leadership divisions and unify. In response to a question on his personal feelings around the leadership spill, he stated "I like fighting Tories. That's what I do."[76][77]
Following the defeat of Labor at the2013 election, Albanese announced his candidacy to beLeader of the Labor Party, standing againstBill Shorten.[83] Shorten was announced as the winner after a month-long contest that was the first to involve a combined vote of MPs and rank-and-file members. Although Albanese won comfortably among party members, Shorten held a greater lead among MPs, and was subsequently elected.[84]
Shorten Opposition
In October 2013, shortly after the leadership election, Shorten appointed Albanese Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Shadow Minister for Tourism; he held these roles throughout Shorten's time as leader.[85] In September 2014, Albanese was given the additional role of Shadow Minister for Cities.[86] Following Labor's narrow loss in the2016 federal election, it was reported bySky News that Albanese was preparing to challenge Shorten for the leadership of the party.[87] However, Albanese ruled out such a challenge, and Shorten was re-elected unopposed as Labor leader.[88]
Albanese during his time as Leader of the Opposition
2019 leadership election
Bill Shorten announced his resignation as Leader of the Labor Party on 18 May 2019, following Labor's unexpected defeat in the2019 election.[89][90] The day after, Albanese announced his candidacy in the subsequentleadership election.[91] On 21 May,Chris Bowen announced he would also contest the ballot; however, the next day, he announced his withdrawal, citing his lack of support among the party membership.[92] With no other candidate stepping forward, Albanese took the leadership unopposed on 30 May, withRichard Marles as his deputy.[93] Aged 56 when he took office, he became the oldest first-time Opposition Leader in 59 years, sinceArthur Calwell (aged 63) took office in 1960.[94] Albanese unveiled hisshadow ministry on 1 June 2019.[95]
Parliamentary activities
Under his leadership, Labor supported theMorrison government'sstage three tax cuts, despite the party being earlier opposed.[96] Albanese led the Opposition during theCOVID-19 pandemic, during which he took bipartisian positions on the government's response.[97][98] On 4 July 2020, Labor won the2020 Eden-Monaro by-election, despite a swing against it.[99] On 22 November 2021, Albanese accused prime ministerScott Morrison of lying to Parliament.[100] In December 2021, Albanese held a major campaign rally, unveiling Labor's slogan, "A Better Future".[101][102]
In February 2022, Albanese announced Labor would support the Morrison government's controversialreligious discrimination bill.[103] Labor successfully passed amendments to the bill to add protections for transgender school students after five Liberal MPscrossed the floor to vote in favour. After this, the government shelved the bill due to being unwilling to accept the amendments.[104]
The2022 federal election was called on 10 April.[105] On the first day of campaigning, Albanese was unable to name either theofficial cash rate or unemployment rate, which drew criticism.[106][107] On 20 April, Albanese faced prime minister Morrison in a debate hosted bySky News, with Albanese being deemed the winner through an audience vote.[108] However, the next day, Albanese tested positive forCOVID-19, forcing him to isolate at home in Sydney.[109] He returned to campaigning the following week and, on 1 May, hosted Labor's campaign launch in Perth which was the first time any major party launched in Western Australia. At the launch, Labor unveiled policies to reduce the cost of medicine and childcare, increasemanufacturing in Australia, and introduce ashared equity housing scheme to assist first-time home buyers.[110] Albanese faced Morrison in two further debates, hosted byChannel Nine andChannel Seven, respectively.[111][112][113][114]Opinion polling indicated that support for the two major parties had reached record lows, due to high levels of support for minor parties and independent candidates.[115][116][117]
At the election on 21 May 2022, Labor was victorious over theLiberal–National Coalition, with Albanese becoming the 31st prime minister of Australia.[118] Despite a decrease in the party's primary vote, Labor received a 3.66-point two-party-preferred swing towards it. The Coalition also lost several seats to "teal independents", allowing Labor to become the party with the most seats in Parliament.[119][120]
Although it was not certain on election day that Labor would win a majority of seats, it soon became apparent that no other party could realistically form a government.[121][122] Accordingly, two days after the election, Albanese, deputy Labor leaderRichard Marles,Jim Chalmers,Penny Wong andKaty Gallagher were sworn in as an interim five-person ministry.[12] With his victory, Albanese became the firstItalian-Australian prime minister in the country's history.[123]
Albanese's first term was dominated by Australia'scost-of-living crisis, attributed to the worldwideinflation surge of 2021–23.[128] Monthly inflation peaked at a high of 8.4% in December 2022,[129] and theReserve Bank of Australia increased interest rates twelve times, reaching a rate of 4.35% by November 2023, the highest since 2011.[130] In the2023 Australian federal budget, the Albanese government delivered a surplus of $22.1 billion (equivalent to 0.9% of Australia's GDP); this was Australia's first budget surplus in 15 years, and the largest ever Australian budget surplus.[b] In the2024 budget, the government posted a second consecutive surplus of $9.3billion.[137] The budget returned to a $42.1 billion deficit in the2025 budget.[138]
In January 2024, the Albanese government made changes to the previously legislatedstage three tax cuts, which would see individuals earning less than A$150,000 receive a larger tax cut than under the original plan.[139][140] These changes were met with some criticism, particularly by the Opposition and conservative media outlets, and was viewed as a breach of a pre-election promise, as Albanese had repeatedly stated he would not alter the tax cuts if elected.[141][142] Despite this, the changes proved popular with the public,[143][144] and the overhauled tax cuts were passed by the Senate on 27 February 2024.[145] His government announced a further $17 billion in tax cuts in the 2025 budget, which will reduce the bottom tax bracket from 16% to 15% in 2026, and to 14% in 2027.[146]
Housing
Albanese took office amid a majorhousing affordability crisis,[147] with the average Australian house price being nine times the average household income by 2024.[148] To remedy supply-side issues that contribute to rising prices, in August 2023, Albanese reached an agreement withNational Cabinet to build 1.2 million houses over five years.[149][150] On 13 September 2023, the government passed the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), a $10 billion investment fund controlled by theFuture Fund that is designed to build 30,000 new social and affordable homes over the following five years in a further effort to increase supply.[151] On 25 September 2024, his government instructed theTreasury to examinenegative gearing. As a divisivewedge issue in Australian politics, changes to negative gearing rules were proposed by Labor prior to the 2019 election, in which they were defeated. Albanese had previously pledged not to modify negative gearing as Opposition Leader, leading to criticism from the Coalition and conservative media outlets for appearing to backtrack on this promise.[152] After intense media speculation, Albanese ruled out making changes to negative gearing the next day.[153] In November 2024, the Albanese government legislated a "help-to-buy"shared equity scheme that aims to allow up to 40,000 first-time home buyers to purchase a home with a shared contribution with the government, and a tax concession to incentivise developers to build housesspecifically for the purpose of renting.[154] In February 2025, his government placed a two-year ban on non-citizens buying existing houses.[155]
In March 2023, Parliament passed the government's National Reconstruction Fund (NRF), a $15 billion investment fund for the manufacturing sector designed to increase manufacturing capability.[156] In November 2024, the NRF made its first investment, a $40 million grant to a Queensland-based mining equipment company.[157] In April 2024, Albanese announced a major industrial policy calledFuture Made in Australia, which seeks to promote Australian manufacturing insustainable energy.[158] Future Made in Australia has been likened to the United States'Inflation Reduction Act and theEuropean Green Deal.[159]
As part of the policy, the government's third budget contained $22.7 billion over a decade in support of domesticgreen hydrogen, solar-panel manufacturing, and mining of critical minerals.[160] This includes a $1 billion "Solar Sunshot" program to support solar panel manufacturing in Australia,[161] and a $566 million "Resourcing Australia's Prosperity" initiative for geomapping for mining resources.[162] In July 2024, his government introduced legislation to give further effect to the policy,[163][164] which passed the Parliament in November 2024.[165][166]
Environment and energy
On 16 June 2022, Albanese submitted a newNationally determined contribution to the United Nations which formally committed Australia to reducingcarbon emissions by 43% on 2005 levels. This represented an increase from the 26 to 28% target under the previous government.[167] In September 2022, the Albanese government passed legislation to write this climate target into law.[168][169] Albanese's government also entered a bid for Australia and its Pacific island neighbours to host the2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference.[170] Albanese supported a major expansion ofgas production.[171] In December 2024, he approved the expansion of fourcoal mines.[172] He declared that he would not lift the moratorium onnuclear power in Australia.[173]
In late 2022, his government announced reforms to the "safeguard mechanism", anemissions trading scheme that requires Australia's largest carbon emitters to keep their emissions under a "baseline limit", either by reducing them, or by purchasingcarbon credits. The mechanism was introduced by theTurnbull government in 2016, but failed to reduce emissions as the rules were often left unenforced.[174] In March 2023, the Albanese government received the necessary support to pass the legislation from theGreens, who negotiated a "hard cap" on emissions that cannot be offset by carbon credits.[175] The bill was passed on 30 March 2023, marking the most significant piece of climate change legislation passed through the Australian parliament since theClean Energy Act 2011.[176] On 5 October 2023, Australia re-joined the United Nations'Green Climate Fund, which the previous Morrison government had withdrawn from in 2018.[177] In December 2023, the government legislated a "nature repair market" to create abiodiversity market to encourage private companies to invest in projects thatprotect biodiversity,[178] and committed to establishing a federal environmental protection agency (EPA).[179] However, the legislation to establish an EPA was delayed after lobbying from the mining sector and thestate government of Western Australia, attracting criticism from environmental groups.[180][181] In May 2024, the government legislated avehicle emission standard for new vehicles sold in Australia from 1 July 2025, in an effort to introduce more fuel efficient vehicles to the Australian market.[182][183]
Albanese's government took office during a massive surge in electricity prices exacerbated by theglobal energy crisis and theRusso-Ukrainian War.[184][185][186][187] On 9 December 2022, Albanese convened a meeting of theNational Cabinet and announced a coordinated plan to introduce temporary caps on gas and coal prices.[188] On 15 December, Albanese recalled Parliament to pass a 12-month cap on gas prices to limit electricity price rises.[189]
Industrial relations
In one of his first acts as prime minister on 27 May 2022, Albanese confirmed that his government would make a submission to theFair Work Commission in support of an increase to the national minimum wage.[190] On 2 June 2023, the Albanese government contributed to a decision by the Fair Work Commission with another letter encouraging a rise in the minimum wage in line with inflation.[191][192][193] The government announced that a submission had been formally made to the commission on 3 June 2022 and that a "deliberate" policy of lower wages was not the policy of the new government.[194] The Fair Work Commission subsequently announced on 15 June 2022 that the minimum wage would be raised by 5.2%.[195]
The government passed new workplace harassment laws through the Parliament on 28 November 2022. The new laws are in line with Albanese's promise to implement the recommendations of the Respect@Work Report by creating a positive duty requiring employers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment.[196]
On 2 December 2022, the government passed itsSecure Jobs, Better Pay law through the Parliament. The new law allows unions to negotiate multi-employer pay deals in an effort to secure wage increases across particular sectors such as child care and aged care. The law also aims to close the gender pay gap by prohibiting pay secrecy employment clauses and secures the right of workers to seek flexible working arrangements.[197]
Throughout 2023, the Albanese government attempted to pass additional industrial relations reforms through Parliament, dubbed theClosing Loopholes bill, which aimed to ensure temporary workers employed throughlabour hire were paid the same wage as regular workers, criminalisewage theft and make companies responsible forindustrial manslaughter, among other changes.[198] Despite fierce opposition from the Liberal Party and business lobbies, the first part of the bill was passed by the Senate on 7 December 2023.[199][200] The second tranche of legislation, which introduced minimum standards forgig workers and allowed workers theright to disconnect, was passed on 8 February 2024.[201]
In his victory speech on election night, Albanese expressed his support for theUluru Statement from the Heart, and stated that his government would implement it in full within its first term.[202] In his first press conference as Prime Minister, the podium flags in the blue room at Parliament were changed to include Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags in addition to theAustralian flag.[203] Upon the opening of thenew Parliament, both flags began to be displayed in theHouse of Representatives andSenate chambers.[204] Albanese pledged to hold a referendum to enshrine anIndigenous Voice to Parliament to assist the government with Indigenous issues, andrecognise Indigenous Australians inAustralia's constitution.[205][206] The2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum was held on 14 October and the change to the Constitution was rejected by the majority of Australian voters and passed in no state or territory, bar theAustralian Capital Territory.[207][13] In August 2024, Albanese abandoned his commitment to implement the remaining components of theUluru Statement.[208]
Immigration
On 25 May 2022, in one of its first acts upon coming to government, the Albanese government allowed theMurugappan family to stay in Australia after the previous Morrison government had attempted to deport them.[209] In February 2023, the Albanese government abolishedtemporary protection visas, allowing up to 19,000 asylum seekers to stay in Australia permanently.[210][211] On 8 November 2023, theHigh Court of Australia ruled onNZYQ v Minister for Immigration, striking down the precedent established byAl-Kateb v Godwin and holding thatindefinite detention of immigrants was illegal, leading to the immediate release of 148 people, some of whom had committed serious crimes.[212] In response, the government enacted emergency legislation to put those released under strict visa conditions − including mandating the use of ankle monitoring and a mandatory curfew – and establish apreventive detention scheme to re-detain people who were found to pose a high risk to the community.[213] However, in November 2024, the High Court would also find these laws unconstitutional, striking them down on the grounds they were too punitive.[214] To circumvent this ruling, Albanese's government unveiled legislation that gave the federal government comprehensive powers to deport non-citizens. Despite vociferous criticism from human rights and refugee advocacy groups, the necessary bills passed on 29 November 2024.[215][216]
In 2023–24, the number ofmigrant arrivals decreased to 667,000, down from 739,000 a year earlier.[217] Net overseas migration was 536,000 in 2022–23,[218] up from 170,900 in 2021–22.[219] On 11 December 2023, the Albanese government announced its ten-year migration strategy designed to overhaul the immigration system and reduce Australia's annual net migration intake to 250,000 by June 2025.[220] His government also announced it would introduce caps on the annual intake of international students, but attempts to pass these into law were blocked by the Opposition and the Greens in Parliament.[221] Net permanent and long-term arrivals in the 12 months to May 2024 were a record 482,450.[222]
Social media
In June 2024, Albanese pledged to introduce legislation that would force social media companies to ensure users under 16 years old could not create accounts, in an effort to curb the negative effects of social media on children.[223] This plan was criticised by industry groups and major social media companies such asMeta (parent company ofFacebook).[224] TheOnline Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 was passed by Parliament on 28 November 2024, making Australia the first country in the world to legislate a minimum age for social media use. The ban is due to commence by the end of 2025.[225] Albanese's government attempted to pass laws that would have compelled social media companies to regulatemisinformation on their platforms, but abandoned them after they failed to find support in Parliament.[226]
Healthcare
In May 2023, Albanese's government invested $3.5 billion to triple the fee general practitioners receive forbulk billing their patients in order to address the decline in rates of bulk billing.[227] In February 2025, Albanese committed his government to invest $8.5 billion inMedicare services including $18 million in subsidised general practitioner's visits, 400 nursing scholarships and general practitioner training programs for 2,000 doctors[228] The Albanese government implemented an election promise to fund non-emergency urgent care clinics, opening up 58 across every state and territory by the beginning of 2024.[229][230]
Aged care and childcare
The first bill Albanese's government passed was one responding to the 17 recommendations of theRoyal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The legislation amended the aged care funding model and introduces new reporting and transparency requirements.[231] The government passed reforms to aged care in November 2024 to increase funding forhome care and cut down waiting times for new entrants into aged cared facilities.[232] In March 2025, Albanese and his government passed legislation to subsidise the cost ofchildcare for most families and guarantee a minimum of three days of subsidised care.[233]
Albanese took his first international trip on 23 May 2022 immediately after being sworn in as prime minister when he flew to Tokyo to attend aQuadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting with fellow world leaders: US presidentJoe Biden, Indian prime ministerNarendra Modi and Japanese prime ministerFumio Kishida.[238][239] At the meeting, Albanese committed his new government to the goals of the Quad and confirmed that his government would seek to take stronger action in reducing carbon emissions.[240] On 5 June, Albanese andPenny Wong visited Indonesian presidentJoko Widodo inJakarta to developAustralia–Indonesia relations.[241] Albanese said he would not "publicly intervene" to preventWikiLeaks founderJulian Assange from being extradited to the United States.[242] Instead, he and his government engaged in what was dubbed "quiet diplomacy" with the United States, including raising the issue directly with president Biden. Assange was released from custody after striking a plea deal in June 2024. BarristerGreg Barns, who acted as a legal advisor to Assange, credited Albanese's government as "instrumental" to Assange's release.[243][244]
Later in June, Albanese attended the2022 NATO Madrid summit to discuss security threats facing the Pacific region.[245][246] On 30 June, Albanese met with French presidentEmmanuel Macron in Paris to "reset"Australia–France relations, which had been damaged following the cancellation of asubmarine deal by the preceding government.[247][248] The next day, Albanese travelled to Ukraine to meet with PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, making him the first Australian prime minister to make a diplomatic visit to Ukraine.[249] Albanese pledged a further $100 million in aid to assist with the ongoingRusso-Ukrainian War.[250]
On 26 September 2022, Albanese travelled to Japan to attend thestate funeral of former prime ministerShinzo Abe.[251]
Albanese (far left), Joe Biden andRishi Sunak at anAUKUS summit in March 2023
The relationship between Australia and China has started to improve since Albanese became prime minister.[252] In November 2022, Albanese held a bilateral meeting with Chinese PresidentXi Jinping, bringing an end to the longest diplomatic freeze in 50 years between Australia and China.[253] In early 2023, China ended its unofficial ban on imports ofAustralian coal,[254] with all restrictions reportedly being lifted by 14 March.[255] China agreed to lift its ban on barley imports from Australia in April,[256] and imports of Australian timber in May, further improving the relations.[257]
In March 2023, Albanese visited India to attend the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit in New Delhi. During the visit, he also led a trade delegation, which included Trade MinisterDon Farrell and Resources MinisterMadeleine King, after the implementation of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) between Australia and India on 29 December 2022. He also attended the75 Years of Friendship through Cricket Event hosted by PM Modi at theNarendra Modi Stadium inAhmedabad to celebrate 75 years of strong diplomatic and cricketing ties between the two nations. The PMs attended a match of theBorder–Gavaskar Trophy where Albanese handed over Australian Cricket CaptainSteve Smith his test cap.
On 13 March 2023, Albanese travelled to San Diego to officially commence theAUKUS security pact with President Biden and United Kingdom prime ministerRishi Sunak. Through the deal, which was signed by Albanese's predecessor, Australia will procure $368 billion worth of defence materiel, includingnuclear-powered submarines in an effort to counter China's dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.[260] The deal has been negatively received by China[261] and former prime ministerPaul Keating, who called it the "worst deal in all history".[262]
Between 4 and 7 November 2023, Albanese visitedShanghai andBeijing, becoming the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years.[265] The trip, described as an effort to get relations between Australia and China on track, coincided with the 50th anniversary of Prime MinisterGough Whitlam's visit to China, the first by an Australian prime minister.[266] During the trip, Albanese gave a speech at theChina International Import Expo, and met with PremierLi Qiang and President Xi Jinping.[267] The following week, he signed the Falepili Union treaty with the Pacific island country ofTuvalu.[268] Described as "groundbreaking" by legal scholarJane McAdam,[269] the treaty entrenchesbilateral relations between the two countries, with Australia agreeing to provide funds to help the country deal with the effects of climate change and also resettle 280 Tuvaluans a year, as the country is particularly vulnerable to the effects ofclimate change.[270]
In March 2024, Albanese was referred to theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) by Birchgrove Legal as anaccessory to genocide for his government's actions during theGaza War, which included freezing funding toUNRWA, providing military aid to Israel, and allowing Australian citizens to serve in theIDF.[271] The document, which was signed by over 100 Australian lawyers and barristers, made Albanese the first Western leader to be referred to the ICC in the context of the Gaza War.[272]
On 3 April 2024, Albanese announcedSam Mostyn as the newgovernor-general of Australia, replacing the outgoingDavid Hurley.[277] She began her term on 1 July 2024.[278] On 25 July 2024, Albanese announced jointly with the energy minister Bowen that former New South Wales energy ministerMatt Kean would become the new Chair of theClimate Change Authority.[279] In July 2024, Albanese appointedJillian Segal as Special Envoy to CombatAntisemitism in a response to an increase in anti-semitic rhetoric and violence since the beginning of theGaza war.[280] He similarly appointed Muslim faith leader Aftab Malik as Special Envoy to CombatIslamophobia in October 2024.[281]
On 28 March 2025, Albanese called afederal election for 3 May.[284] The first week of campaigning was dominated by the imposition oftariffs on Australia by U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, to which Albanese responded by urging Australians to buy locally made products.[285] He participated in a Sky News debate against Opposition LeaderPeter Dutton on 8 April, which he narrowly won according to a poll of 100 undecided voters interviewed by Sky.[286] He took part inthree further debates with Dutton over the course of the campaign.[287][288][289] On 13 April, Albanese launched Labor's campaign, announcing flagship policies to aid first home-buyers by allowing them to buy a house with a five percent deposit and build 100,000 homes exclusively for first-time home purchasers.[290] The predominant issues of the campaign were cost-of-living, housing affordability, healthcare and immigration.[291][292]
Albanese led his government to alandslide victory at the election, defying a globalanti-incumbency surge and becoming the first prime minister sinceJohn Howard at the2004 election to lead his government to re-election.[293][294][295] Several media outlets attributed Albanese's victory to anti-Donald Trump sentiment and drew parallels to the2025 Canadian federal election, which saw similar results for the incumbentCanadian Liberal Party.[296][297][298] Labor gained 17 seats to hold a total of 94 seats in the House of Representatives, the joint most seats ever held by a party in federal Parliament, tied with Howard's Coalition government in the1996 election.[299] Labor also retained every seat they occupied prior to the election, making Albanese's government the first to retain all of its seats sinceHarold Holt's Coalition in1966.[300] Thesecond Albanese ministry was sworn in on 13 May 2025.[301][302]
Second term (2025–present)
Domestic affairs
Albanese pledged his first act in his second term would be to reducetertiary education loans by 20%.[303] Legislation to put this reduction into effect passed on 31 July 2025.[304] On 18 September 2025, Albanese announced his government's 2035emissionsreduction target, set at a range of 62 to 70%. He also announced new supports for industries todecarbonise.[305]
On 1 October 2025, Albanese's government fulfilled an election commitment by expanding a pre-existing scheme to allow first-time home buyers to purchase a home with a five percent deposit, in an effort to address Australia's growing housing crisis.[306][307] However, economists and figures in the real estate industry noted that the scheme will likely cause property prices to increase further due to heightened demand.[308][309]
Foreign affairs
Albanese in attendance with other world leaders at the51st G7 summit, June 2025
On 14 May 2025, Albanese made his fourth prime ministerial visit to Indonesia, meeting with PresidentPrabowo Subianto to discuss defence and trade issues.[310] On 19 May, he attended thepapal inauguration ofPope Leo XIV, holding a private meeting with the Pope and inviting him to visit Australia at some point in the future.[311]
Albanese's press conference with US PresidentDonald Trump, 20 October 2025
In May 2025, Albanese echoed criticisms from other Western nations in demanding Israel allow the supply ofhumanitarian aid into theGaza Strip, condemning Israel's actions as "completely unacceptable" and an "outrage".[312] However, he opposedsanctions against Israel over theblockade of Gaza, saying he was focusing on "peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians" rather than "soundbites".[313]
In June 2025, Albanese attended the51st G7 summit,[314] where he was due to meet with President Trump. However, their scheduled meeting was cancelled after Trump left the summit early to deal with increasing escalations in theIran–Israel war.[315] He voiced support forUS strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, but insisted that it was "unilateral action taken by the United States".[316] That month, Albanese delivered a speech asserting the need for Australia to pursue its own interests and not be "shackled to the past", which was considered by many commentators to be an attempt to distance Australia from United States foreign policy.[317][318][319] Albanese had his first meeting with Trump at theWhite House on 20 October 2025, and signed a trade agreement toexport criticalminerals to the United States, which was regarded as an action intended to counter China's dominance in the market.[320]
In July 2025, Albanese went on a six-day visit to China, touringShanghai,Beijing, andChengdu.[321] The visit included a trip to theGreat Wall and a panda breeding center, which drew criticism from theCoalition.[322] Albanese responded by saying that the visits were intended to show respect to China.[322] According to critics, Albanese ignored the issue ofhuman rights in China and focused only on trade.[323][324]
Albanese has described his political views asprogressive,[330] and is aligned with theLabor Left faction within theLabor Party.[331][332] Several journalists and analysts have noted his ideological shift tocentrism during the 2022 election campaign and upon becoming prime minister.[333][334][335] In May 2025, he described his ideology as "progressive patriotism".[336]
Albanese is arepublican, and supports replacing Australia's currentconstitutional monarchy.[337][338] In a debate to mark theQueen's Platinum Jubilee, he told the Australian Parliament, "Even many Australians who do not hold with the principle of monarchy feel regard for her. You can be a republican, as I am, and still have the deepest respect for the Queen. She has done her duty with fidelity, integrity, humanity and, as she sometimes lets slip, a sly sense of humour."[339] He stated his desire to giveconstitutional recognition toIndigenous Australians, and pledged to hold a referendum regarding anIndigenous Voice to Parliament upon becoming prime minister.[340] He stated that this recognition should come before any referendum regarding Australia's status as a constitutional monarchy vs. a republic.[341] TheIndigenous Voice to Parliament referendum occurred on 14 October 2023 and was defeated.[342][343] Following a meeting with KingCharles III in September 2025, he ruled out holding a republic referendum during his term as prime minister.[344]
Albanese is a prominent backer ofrenewable energy in Australia and has declared that the country's "long-term future lies in renewable energy sources".[352] Upon his election in 2022, he said he would "end theclimate wars" and mitigation and policies to addressclimate change in Australia would be a priority for his government, in contrast with those preceding it.[353] Albanese supported the introduction and sale ofelectric vehicles.[354][355]
Albanese's foreign policy beliefs have been the subject of media attention. Writing for theAustralian Financial Review, James Curran noted his shift from an "idealistic left-wing critic of globalisation" to "a true believer in the American alliance".[356] Albanese was staunchly opposed to the US-ledinvasion of Iraq, saying in February 2003 that "Whatever criticisms can be made of the Iraqi regime, Islamic fundamentalism is not one of them. This is one of the reasons the United States supported Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, including supplying his regime with weapons of mass destruction, which he then used against both the Iranians and the Kurds."[357] Albanese repeatedly urged for the release of Australian whistleblower andWikiLeaks founderJulian Assange, who was being held in custody in the United Kingdomuntil 2024.[358]
In February 2022, Albanese condemnedRussia's invasion of Ukraine, remarking in a press release that it was a "grave moment for humanity".[359]
In May 2022, Albanese said Australia's relationship withChina would remain "a difficult one".[360] He said that "Australia values human rights. We have spoken out about thetreatment of Uyghurs, about what's occurred in Hong Kong, about Taiwan, about other minorities including in Tibet, that are suffering from human rights abuses."[361]
Israel–Palestine conflict
Albanese's views on theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict have been the subject of media interest, withThe Times of Israel categorising him as a supporter of Palestine.[362] AlongsideJoe Hockey, Albanese established the parliamentary "Friends of Palestine" group in 1998.[363] Despite this, he has been a critic of theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, calling it "clumsy and counterproductive".[362] During the2014 Gaza War, he called Israel's bombardment of theGaza Strip a "collective punishment" that was "completely unacceptable".[364] In 2018, he challenged a decision by the Australian government to vote against a UN human rights council motion calling for an investigation into the killings of Palestinian protesters during theGreat March of Return. Shortly before the 2022 election, Albanese toldThe Australian Jewish News that any decision he takes on Israel-Palestine will contribute "to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to progress towards atwo-state solution". When asked about a 2018 resolution torecognise theState of Palestine, Albanese insisted the motion "has no greater or lesser weight" than it did previously.[365] In October 2022, his government reversed the Morrison government's decision to recogniseWest Jerusalem as Israel's capital.[366][367] In December 2023, Albanese signed a joint statement, along with the prime ministers of Canada and New Zealand, calling for a ceasefire in theGaza war.[368][369] Albanese has been criticised by conservative and pro-Israel opponents for failing to combat risingantisemitism during his term.[370] In December 2024, Israeli prime ministerBenjamin Netanyahu linked the firebombing of a Melbournesynagogue to his government's "extreme anti-Israel position", which included supportingUnited Nations resolutions critical of Israel's conduct in the Palestinian territories.[371]
Albanese is a supporter and advocate forLGBT rights,[376] and has regularly participated in theSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras since 1983.[331][377][378] When Labor Party members were granted aconscience vote on theMarriage Amendment Bill 2012, which would have legalised same-sex marriage in Australia, Albanese voted in favour of the bill, which was unsuccessful.[379] He opposedholding a plebiscite for same-sex marriage, stating that "we shouldn't be having a public vote where we get to judge other families".[380] In 2017, Albanese also voted in favour of theMarriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, the bill which ultimately legalised same-sex marriage.[381] Albanese has voiced support oftransgender rights, saying that "people coming to terms with their identity and who they are, I think that they need to be respected",[341] although has voted against bills and motions intended to improve transgender rights in the past.[382]
Early in his political career, Albanese supporteddrug decriminalisation, telling Parliament in 1997 that "drug use by individuals is a health issue, not a criminal issue".[383] However, in February 2022, he declined to commit to decriminalisation ofhard drugs, commenting that the "current settings are appropriate".[384]
In July 2015, Albanese stated his opposition to the government's policy of turning backasylum seekers who arrive to the country via boat, saying: "I couldn't ask someone else to do something that I couldn't see myself doing ... if people were in a boat including families and children, I myself couldn't turn that around."[385][386] During the2022 federal election campaign, Albanese clarified that boat turnbacks would be incorporated into his government's policy,[387] leading to some critics accusing him of "flip-flopping" on the issue.[388][389] In August 2021, after theTaliban seized control ofAfghanistan, Albanese urged theMorrison government to giveAfghan refugees permanent residency in Australia.[390]
In May 2024, Albanese voiced his support for raising the age at which a child can open asocial media account from 13 to 16, citing concerns over the mental health of young people, with his government passing legislation to compel social media companies to do so.[391] He has referred to social media as a "scourge".[392]
Personal life
In 2000, Albanese marriedCarmel Tebbutt, a futureDeputy Premier of New South Wales.[393][394] They had met in Young Labor during the late 1980s,[395] and have one son together.[396][397] The two separated in January 2019.[398] In June 2020, it was reported that Albanese was in a relationship[399] withJodie Haydon.[400] Albanese said they had met at a dinner event in Melbourne a year after his separation from Tebbutt.[401] Albanese is the first divorcee to be appointed prime minister.[402] In February 2024, Albanese announced his engagement to Haydon after proposing to her atThe Lodge inCanberra, making him the first prime minister of Australia to be engaged while in office.[403] Their wedding will be held after the2025 Australian federal election.[404]
As a lifelong supporter of theSouth Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club, Albanese was a board member of the club from 1999 to 2002 and influential in the fight to have the club readmitted to theNational Rugby League (NRL) competition.[412] During October 2009,The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Albanese had opposed an attempt to appoint the former Liberal prime ministerJohn Howard to a senior position in the NRL. Albanese stated he had phoned the NRL chief executive,David Gallop, as well as other league officials, to advise them against the idea. He then implored officials at Souths to help stop the suggestion from gaining momentum.[413] In 2013, he was made a life member of the club.[412] He is also a fan ofAustralian rules football, and supports theHawthorn Football Club,[414][415] with Albanese attending the1991 AFL Grand Final which saw Hawthorn claim its 9th premiership.[416]
Albanese was injured in aside collision while driving inMarrickville, New South Wales, on 8 January 2021. He underwent treatment atRoyal Prince Alfred Hospital and was reportedly "injured externally and internally and had suffered considerable shock in the immediate aftermath of the impact". The other driver was a 17-year-old who was charged with negligent driving.[417] Emergency workers told Albanese that if the teen's car had hit just 30 centimetres (12 in) either side of where it did, Albanese "would almost certainly have been killed".[418] Shortly following this accident, Albanese lost over 18 kilograms (40 lb) by cutting out carbohydrates and reducing his alcohol intake, in an effort to be "match fit" for his election campaign.[419][420] Four years after the crash, Albanese revealed that he still suffers ongoing spinal issues and has difficulty sitting in a car for long distances.[421]
Prior to 2024, Albanese owned multiple investment and residential properties in theInner West of Sydney and Canberra.[422][423] In 2024, Albanese and Haydon purchased a beachside cliff-top mansion in theCentral Coast town ofCopacabana for $4.3M.[424][425][426] In October 2024,REA Group estimated his property portfolio at $8.8 million.[427]
^Both pronunciations have been used by Albanese himself during his life; they have both been in common use among other speakers at various stages. While Albanese always used/ˈælbəniːz/ throughout his early life,[1] he later began using/ˌælbəˈniːzi/.[2]
^"S.R.C. Election Results".Honi Soit (21): 27. 1982.Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved6 July 2022 – via University of Sydney Library Digital Collections.
^"ALP Club – Anthony Albanese".Honi Soit (7): 9. 1984.Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved6 July 2022 – via University of Sydney Library Digital Collections.
^Albanese, Anthony MP (6 November 1996)."Hindmarsh Island bridge Bill 1996".Australian House of Representatives: Hansard. Commonwealth of Australia.Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved29 March 2013.
^Albanese, Anthony MP (28 October 1996)."Euthanasia Laws Bill 1996".Australian House of Representatives: Hansard. Commonwealth of Australia.Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved29 March 2013.
^Building Australia's Future(PDF). Budget 2025–26. budget.gov.au. March 2025. pp. 5–6,11–12, 21, 27, 33, 39, 43, 54, 58.ISBN978-1-923278-13-4.Archived(PDF) from the original on 26 March 2025. Retrieved4 April 2025 – via The Commonwealth of Australia.
^Clennell, Andrew (24 May 2008)."The one that got away".Sydney Morning Herald.Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved3 October 2012.
^Maley, Jacqueline (26 December 2009)."Catholics divided in the House".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved1 August 2010.
^Workman, Alice (26 September 2019)."Albanese's bunny boilover".The Australian.News Corp. Retrieved21 April 2023.Albanese usually supports Hawthorn. But, like so many Sydneysiders who become fairweather fans of the homegrown footy code when a local team is winning, he'll don the orange and charcoal of the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
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