Anthony Albanese
Prime Minister of Australia since 2022 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Anthony Albanese?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Anthony Norman Albanese ( /ˌælbəˈniːzi/ AL-bə-NEEZ-ee or /ˈælbəniːz/ AL-bə-neez;[nb 1] born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022.[3] He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Grayndler since 1996. Albanese previously served as the 15th deputy prime minister under the second Rudd government in 2013. He held various ministerial positions from 2007 to 2013 in the governments of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.[4]
Anthony Albanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31st Prime Minister of Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 23 May 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Governor General | David Hurley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Richard Marles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Scott Morrison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 30 May 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Richard Marles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Bill Shorten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 30 May 2019 – 23 May 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Scott Morrison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Richard Marles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Bill Shorten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Peter Dutton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 27 June 2013 – 18 September 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Warren Truss | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 26 June 2013 – 13 October 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Wayne Swan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Tanya Plibersek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the Australian Parliament for Grayndler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 2 March 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jeannette McHugh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Anthony Norman Albanese (1963-03-02) 2 March 1963 (age 61) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic partner | Jodie Haydon (2021–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Residences |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Sydney (BEc) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Albo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanese speaking about his party's foreign policy and the legacy of Prime Minister John Curtin Recorded 4 March 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanese was born in Sydney to an Italian father and an Irish-Australian mother, who raised him as a single parent. Albanese attended St Mary's Cathedral College and studied economics at the University of Sydney. As a student, he joined the Labor Party and later worked as a party official and research officer before entering Parliament.
Albanese was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1996 election, winning the seat of Grayndler in New South Wales. He was first appointed to the shadow cabinet in 2001 by Simon Crean and went on to serve in a number of roles, eventually becoming Manager of Opposition Business in 2006. After Labor's victory in the 2007 election, Albanese was appointed Leader of the House, and was also made Minister for Regional Development and Local Government and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. In the subsequent leadership tensions between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard from 2010 to 2013, Albanese was publicly critical of the conduct of both, calling for party unity. After supporting Rudd in the final leadership ballot between the two in June 2013, Albanese was elected the deputy leader of the Labor Party and sworn in as deputy prime minister the following day, a position he held for less than three months, as Labor was defeated at the 2013 election.
Rudd retired from politics, so Albanese stood against Bill Shorten in the October 2013 Australian Labor Party leadership election. Although Albanese won a large majority of the membership, Shorten won more heavily among Labor MPs and became leader. Shorten subsequently appointed Albanese to his Shadow Cabinet. After Labor's surprise defeat in the 2019 election, Shorten resigned as leader, with Albanese becoming the only person nominated in the leadership election to replace him; he was subsequently elected unopposed as leader of the Labor Party, becoming Leader of the Opposition.[5][6]
In the 2022 election, Albanese led his party to victory against Scott Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition.[7][8][9][10] He was sworn in on 23 May 2022.[11][12] Albanese's first acts as prime minister included proposing a change to the Constitution to include an Indigenous Voice to Parliament,[13][14][15] updating Australia's climate targets in an effort to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and supporting an increase to the national minimum wage. His government legislated a national anti-corruption commission, made major changes to Australian labour law and established the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. In foreign policy, Albanese pledged further logistical support to Ukraine to assist with the Russo-Ukrainian war, attempted to strengthen relations in the Pacific region, and held several high-level discussions with Chinese president Xi Jinping, overseeing an easing of tensions between the countries and leading to easing of trade restrictions put by China on Australia. He also oversaw the official commencement of the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Family and background
Albanese was born on 2 March 1963 at St Margaret's Hospital in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst.[16][17] He is the son of Carlo Albanese and Maryanne Ellery.[18] His mother was an Australian of Irish descent, while his Italian father was from Barletta in Apulia. His parents met in March 1962 on a voyage from Sydney to Southampton, England, on the Sitmar Line's TSS Fairsky, where his father worked as a steward, but did not continue their relationship afterwards, going their separate ways.[19][20][21] Coincidentally, the Fairsky was also the ship on which Albanese's future parliamentary colleague Julia Gillard and her family migrated to South Australia from the United Kingdom in 1966.[22][23]
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, tracking him down initially with the assistance of John Faulkner, Carnival Australia's CEO Ann Sherry (the parent company of P&O, which acquired the Sitmar Line in 1988) and maritime historian Rob Henderson, and then later the Australian Embassy in Italy and ambassador Amanda Vanstone.[19] He made contact with his father in 2009, visiting him a number of times in Italy, and he took his family there as well. His father died in 2014.[24] He subsequently discovered that he had two half-siblings.[20][21] During the Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis of 2017, it was noted that, although birth to an Italian father would ordinarily confer citizenship by descent, Albanese had no father recorded on his birth certificate and thus meets the parliamentary eligibility requirements of section 44 of the constitution.[25]
Albanese's maternal grandfather George Ellery ran a printing business on William Street in Darlinghurst. He provided printing services to the ALP.[26]
Childhood and education
Albanese grew up with his mother and maternal grandparents in a Sydney City Council home in the Inner West suburb of Camperdown, opposite the Camperdown Children's Hospital.[27] 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 10 weeks, as Williamson proved to be an abusive alcoholic.[28] Albanese's mother worked part-time as a cleaner but suffered from chronic rheumatoid arthritis, with the family surviving on her disability pension and his grandmother's age pension.[29]
Albanese attended St Joseph's Primary School in Camperdown[30] and then St Mary's Cathedral College.[31] After finishing school, he worked for the Commonwealth Bank for two years before studying economics at the University of Sydney.[16] There, he became involved in student politics and was elected to the Students' Representative Council.[32][33][34] It was also there where he started his rise as a key player in the ALP's Labor Left.[35] 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 the Communist Party of Australia, People for Nuclear Disarmament and the African National Congress".[36]
Albanese's mother died in 2002.[37]
Pre-parliamentary career and travel
After completing his economics degree in 1984,[38] Albanese took on a role as a research officer to the then Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services, Tom Uren, who became a mentor to him.[39] In 1989, the position of Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Labor Party became vacant when John Faulkner was elected to the Senate. 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.[36] In 1995, he left the position to work as a senior adviser to New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.[16]
Albanese's first overseas trip was in 1986, accompanying his friend Jeremy Fisher to Vanuatu.[40] In 1987, Albanese joined his boss Tom Uren on a visit to South-East Asia, which included: a meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand; an Anzac Day dawn service at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery with John Carrick; and a tour of Cambodia alongside Bill Hayden's daughter Ingrid.[41] He then travelled extensively in 1988, visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Western Europe on a Contiki tour, and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia as a backpacker.[42] Upon returning to Australia, he began dating Carmel Tebbutt, with whom he would holiday in Europe and South-East Asia,[43] plus a backpacking trip to India in 1991.[44][45] Sometime during his 20s, Albanese also took part in a tour of the United States organised by the State Department, with a thematic focus on the interaction of advocacy groups with the U.S. Government.[46][47]
In 1990, Albanese bought a semi-detached two-bedroom house in the Inner West Sydney suburb of Marrickville.[38]
Entry to Parliament
When Jeannette McHugh announced she would not seek re-election in her seat of Grayndler at the 1996 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 at Sydney Airport, and the newly established No Aircraft Noise party (NAN) having polled strongly in the local area at the 1995 New South Wales election. Veteran political pundit Malcolm 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.[48]
In his maiden speech to the House of Representatives, he spoke about the building of a third runway at Sydney 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, the social 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."[48]
In his first year in Parliament he continued this theme, speaking in favour of the Northern Territory's euthanasia legislation, the rights of the Indigenous community in the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy,[49][50] and entitlement to superannuation for same-sex couples.[51]
This latter 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.[52] 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.[53] Albanese subsequently turned his attention to campaigning for same-sex marriage.[54]
Appointment to Shadow Cabinet
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.[55]
In 2001, Albanese was promoted to the opposition Shadow 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 minister John Howard and science minister Brendan Nelson started raising the idea of nuclear 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."[56][57]
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, when Kevin Rudd first became Leader of the Labor Party, Albanese took over from Julia Gillard as Manager 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]
Rudd government
Following Labor's victory at the 2007 election, Albanese's rise in standing within the party was evidenced by his appointment as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Regional Development and Local Government and Leader of the House of Representatives in the Rudd ministry. Rudd was sworn in alongside his colleagues on 3 December 2007.[58]
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".[59] 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.[60] The establishment of Infrastructure Australia was regarded by many as a success; projects delivered through the Infrastructure Australia process included Melbourne's Regional Rail Link, the Hunter Expressway, the Ipswich Motorway, the Gold Coast light rail system G:link, the Redcliffe Peninsula railway line, the extension of the Noarlunga Centre railway line to Seaford, South Australia and various projects along the Pacific Highway in NSW and Bruce Highway in Queensland.[61]
Gillard government
After Julia Gillard replaced Rudd as prime minister following the leadership spill in June 2010 she retained Albanese in his roles.[62] Following the 2010 election, which resulted in a hung parliament, Albanese was a key player in negotiating the support of independent members Tony Windsor and Rob 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.[63]
In 2011, Albanese introduced two more major policy reforms. The first on urban planning drew on the work of Danish designer Jan Gehl and set out plans for urban design with better transport links and safety.[64] The second, on shipping, was notable for gaining the approval of both the conservative Australian Shipowners Associations and the radical Maritime Union of Australia.[65] However, he also attracted controversy when a convoy of trucks from North Queensland dubbed the "convoy of no confidence" descended on Canberra's Parliament House to protest against rising fuel costs and carbon 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 in Marrickville, New South Wales.[66]
Following a series of poor polls, leadership instability descended again on the Labor government. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd resigned as Minister for Foreign Affairs in February 2012 to unsuccessfully challenge Julia Gillard for the leadership.[67][68] 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.[69] 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."[70][71]
Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
In June 2013, Rudd defeated Gillard in a final leadership election.[72][73] That same ballot saw Albanese elected by the caucus as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, and the following day Albanese was sworn in as deputy prime minister.[74] He held this role until Labor's defeat at the 2013 election, and was replaced by Warren Truss on 18 September.[75][76]
2013 leadership election
Following the defeat of Labor at the 2013 election, Albanese announced his candidacy to be Leader of the Labor Party, standing against Bill Shorten.[77] 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.[78]
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.[79] In September 2014, Albanese was given the additional role of Shadow Minister for Cities.[80]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2022) |
2019 leadership election
Bill Shorten announced his resignation as Leader of the Labor Party on 18 May 2019, following Labor's unexpected defeat in the 2019 election.[81][82] The day after, Albanese announced his candidacy in the subsequent leadership election.[83] 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.[84] With no other candidate stepping forward, Albanese took the leadership unopposed on 30 May, with Richard Marles as his deputy.[85] Aged 56 when he took office, he became the oldest first-time Opposition Leader in 59 years, since Arthur Calwell (aged 63) took office in 1960.[86] Albanese unveiled his shadow ministry on 1 June 2019.[87]
2022 federal election
Albanese led the Labor Party into the 2022 federal election.[88] On the first day of campaigning, Albanese was unable to name either the official cash rate or unemployment rate, which drew criticism.[89][90] On 20 April, Albanese faced prime minister Scott Morrison in a debate hosted by Sky News, with Albanese being deemed the winner through an audience vote.[91] However, the next day, Albanese tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to isolate at home in Sydney.[92] 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, increase manufacturing in Australia, and introduce a shared equity housing scheme to assist first-time home buyers.[93] Albanese faced Morrison in two further debates, hosted by Channel Nine and Channel Seven, respectively.[94][95][96][97] 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.[98][99][100] However, unlike his predecessor, Albanese was able to ultimately able to lead the Labor Party to federal victory, defeating Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government with a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives.