Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Meet Australia's New PM "Albo": A Pragmatic With Working-Class Credentials

Meet Australia's New PM "Albo": A Pragmatic With Working-Class Credentials

Australia Elections: Anthony Albanese, Australia's next Prime Minister said, "I think people want to come together, look for our common interest, look towards that sense of common purpose."
Anthony Albanese also called "Albo", who is set to be Australia's next prime minister, is a pragmatic leader from a working-class background who has pledged to end divisions in the country.

"I want to unite the country," the Labor Party leader said after conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded defeat following an election on Saturday.

"I think people want to come together, look for our common interest, look towards that sense of common purpose. I think people have had enough of division, what they want is to come together as a nation and I intend to lead that."

Labor's election campaign spotlighted Albanese's working-class credentials and his image as a pragmatic unifier.

Albanese, 59, entered parliament in 1996 - just as Labor entered the first of two decade-long patches in opposition. The party's time back in power, from 2007 to 2013, was marred by leadership squabbles in which he openly criticised both sides.

Those years forged his reputation as a collaborator willing to work outside ideological lines, as Leader of the House where he managed government business in the parliament.

After losses in the 2010 election, Labor was saddled with the country's first minority government in 70 years, requiring it to win support from conservatives or independents to pass laws.

But by one measure cited by political commentators - the number of laws passed compared to the number of days in office - it turned out to be Australia's most productive parliament.

"There was an attempt to create chaos, but what Anthony did (as Leader of the House) was to ensure that the work of government proceeded," said Craig Emerson, who was trade minister in that government.

At 12, Albanese helped organise a rent strike that kept his mother's public housing property from being sold off to developers. Those who know Albanese say he is genuinely motivated by the mix of pragmatism and concern for social justice he gained during his childhood struggles.

"It gave me a determination, each and every day, to help the people like I was, growing up, to have a better life," Albanese told the National Press Club in January, recalling how he at times depended on neighbours for food when his mother, who relied on a disability pension, was unable to provide for him.

Albanese was the first in his family to attend university, where he studied economics and became involved in student politics.

At 22, he was elected president of Young Labor, the party's youth wing, and worked as a research officer under the economic reformist government of Bob Hawke, Labor's longest-serving prime minister.

"Anthony has ... a capacity to look beyond the party political alignment," said Robert Tickner, a former Labor member who took the teenage Albanese's call about his mother's stove.

"(He) believes in this idea that there are people of good will in the community," Tickner said in a phone interview. "He's not someone who's a sectarian."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×