Anthony Albanese

Albanese was born on 2 March 1963 at St Margaret's Hospital in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst.[12][13] He is the son of Carlo Albanese and Maryanne Ellery.[14] His mother was an Australian of Irish descent, while his Italian father was from Barletta in Apulia. The Italian surname Albanese is in reference to the Arbëreshë people, ethnic Albanians indigenous to the part of southern Italy where Albanese's father came from.[15] 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.[16][17][18] 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.[19][20]

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.[16] He subsequently discovered that he had two half-siblings.[17][18] 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.[21]

Albanese's maternal grandfather George Ellery ran a printing business on William Street in Darlinghurst. He provided printing services to the ALP.[22]

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.[23] 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.[24] 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.[25]

Albanese attended St Joseph's Primary School in Camperdown[26] and then St Mary's Cathedral College.[27] After finishing school, he worked for the Commonwealth Bank for two years before studying economics at the University of Sydney.[12] There, he became involved in student politics and was elected to the Students' Representative Council.[28][29][30] It was also there where he started his rise as a key player in the ALP's Labor Left.[31] 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".[32]

Albanese's mother died in 2002.[33]

After completing his economics degree in 1984,[34] 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.[35] 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.[32] In 1995, he left the position to work as a senior adviser to New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.[12]

Albanese's first overseas trip was in 1986, accompanying his friend Jeremy Fisher to Vanuatu.[36] 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.[37] He then travelled extensively in 1988, visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Western Europe on a Contiki tour, and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia as a backpacker.[38] Upon returning to Australia, he began dating Carmel Tebbutt, with whom he would holiday in Europe and South-East Asia,[39] plus a backpacking trip to India in 1991.[40][41] 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.[42][43]

In 1990 Albanese bought a semi-detached two-bedroom house in the Inner West Sydney suburb of Marrickville.[34]

Albanese shortly after his election to Parliament.

When Jeannette McHugh announced she would not recontest 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.[44]

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."[44]

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,[45][46] and entitlement to superannuation for same-sex couples.[47]

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.[48] 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.[49] Albanese subsequently turned his attention to campaigning for same-sex marriage.[50]

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.[51]

In 2001, he 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.[12] 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."[52][53]

In 2005, he 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.[12]

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.[54]

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".[55] 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.[56] 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.[57]

Albanese at the opening of the Holbrook Bypass in 2013

After Julia Gillard replaced Rudd as prime minister following the leadership spill in June 2010 she retained Albanese in his roles.[58] 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.[59]

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.[60] The second, on shipping, was notable for gaining the approval of both the conservative Australian Shipowners Associations and the radical Maritime Union of Australia.[61] 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.[62]

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.[63][64] 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.[65] 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."[66][67]

Albanese sworn in as deputy prime minister by Governor-General Quentin Bryce

In June 2013, Rudd defeated Gillard in a final leadership election.[68][69] 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.[70] He held this role until Labor's defeat at the 2013 election, and was replaced by Warren Truss on 18 September.[71][72]

Following the defeat of Labor at the 2013 election, Albanese announced his candidacy to be Leader of the Labor Party, standing against Bill Shorten.[73] 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.[74]

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.[75] In September 2014, Albanese was given the additional role of Shadow Minister for Cities.[76]

Bill Shorten announced his resignation as Leader of the Labor Party on 18 May 2019, following Labor's unexpected defeat in the 2019 election.[77][78] The day after, Albanese announced his candidacy in the subsequent leadership election.[79] 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.[80] With no other candidate stepping forward, Albanese took the leadership unopposed on 30 May, with Richard Marles as his deputy.[81] 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.[82] Albanese unveiled his shadow ministry on 1 June 2019.[83]

Albanese led the Labor Party into the 2022 federal election.[84] On the first day of campaigning, Albanese was unable to name either the official cash rate or unemployment rate, which drew criticism.[85][86] 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.[87] However, the next day, Albanese tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to isolate at home in Sydney.[88] He returned to campaigning the following week and, on 1 May, hosted Labor's campaign launch in Perth, unveiling 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.[89] Albanese faced Morrison in two further debates, hosted by Channel Nine and Channel Seven, respectively.[90][91][92][93] Opinion polling indicated that support for the two major parties would reach record lows, due to high levels of support for third parties and independent candidates.[94][95][96]

On 16 June 2022, Albanese submitted a new Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations which formally committed Australia to reducing carbon emissions by 43% on 2005 levels. This represented an increase from the 26 to 28% target under the previous government.[107] In September 2022, the Albanese government passed legislation to write this climate target into law.[108][109] Albanese's government also entered a bid for Australia and its Pacific island neighbours to host the 2024 United Nations Climate Change conference.[110]

On 27 May 2022, Albanese sent correspondence to the Fair Work Commission confirming that his government would seek to make a submission to the Commission in support of an increase to the minimum wage.[111] 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.[112] The Fair Work Commission subsequently announced on 15 June 2022 that the minimum wage would be raised by 5.2%.[113]

During the 2022 election campaign, Albanese pledged to establish a national anti-corruption commission, saying that it would be one of his "first priorities".[114] On 27 September, attorney-general Mark Dreyfus introduced the relevant legislation to Parliament.[115]

In his victory speech, Albanese expressed his support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and stated that his government would implement it in full within its first term.[116] He has pledged to release a referendum, which if successful, will enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to assist the government with Indigenous issues, and recognise Indigenous Australians in Australia's constitution.[117]

Albanese at the May 2022 Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting with US president Joe Biden, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida

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 a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting with fellow world leaders: US president Joe Biden, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida.[118][119] 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.[120] On 5 June, Albanese and Penny Wong visited Indonesian president Joko Widodo in Jakarta to develop Australia–Indonesia relations.[121] Albanese said he would not "publicly intervene" to prevent WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from being extradited to the United States.[122]

Albanese visiting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv

Later in June, Albanese attended the 2022 NATO Madrid summit to discuss security threats facing the Pacific region.[123][124] On 30 June, Albanese met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris to "reset" Australia–France relations, which had been damaged following the cancellation of a submarine deal by the preceding government.[125][126] The next day, Albanese travelled to Ukraine to meet with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making him the first Australian prime minister to make a diplomatic visit to Ukraine.[127] Albanese pledged a further $100 million in aid to assist with the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.[128]

On 26 September 2022, Albanese travelled to Japan to attend the state funeral of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.[129]

Albanese at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2003

Albanese supports abortion rights, stating in an interview in August 2019 that he believes "women do have a right to choose".[137] He is also in favour of legalising voluntary euthanasia.[138][139] Albanese is a supporter and advocate for LGBT rights,[140] and often participates in the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.[131][141] When Labor Party members were granted a conscience vote on the Marriage Amendment Bill 2012, which would have legalised same-sex marriage in Australia, Albanese voted in favour of the bill, which was unsuccessful.[142] He opposed holding a plebiscite for same-sex marriage, stating that "we shouldn't be having a public vote where we get to judge other families".[143] In 2017, Albanese also voted in favour of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, the bill which ultimately legalised same-sex marriage.[144]

Early in his political career, Albanese supported drug decriminalisation, telling Parliament in 1997 that "drug use by individuals is a health issue, not a criminal issue".[145] However, in February 2022, he declined to commit to decriminalisation of hard drugs, commenting that the "current settings are appropriate".[146]

In July 2015, Albanese stated his opposition to the government's policy of turning back asylum 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."[147][148] During the 2022 federal election campaign, Albanese clarified that boat turnbacks would be incorporated into his government's policy,[149] leading to some critics accusing him of "flip-flopping" on the issue.[150][151] In August 2021, after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, Albanese urged the Morrison government to give Afghan refugees permanent residency in Australia.[152]

While serving in the Gillard government, Albanese supported the introduction of carbon pricing,[153] and voted, along with the rest of the Labor Party, to establish the Clean Energy Act 2011, which instituted a carbon pricing scheme in Australia.[154][155] After the Abbott government abolished the scheme in July 2014,[156][157] Albanese stated that carbon pricing was no longer needed, as "the circumstances have changed".[158][159]

Albanese is a prominent backer of renewable energy in Australia and has declared that the country's "long-term future lies in renewable energy sources".[160] Upon his election in 2022, he said he would "end the climate wars" and mitigation and policies to address climate change in Australia would be a priority for his government, in contrast with those preceding it.[161]

Albanese and Penny Wong with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022

In February 2003, he criticized the planned US-led invasion of Iraq, saying 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."[162]

Albanese's views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have shifted over the years. During the 2014 Gaza War, he called Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip a "collective punishment" that was "completely unacceptable".[163] 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 the Great March of Return. Shortly before the 2022 election, however, Albanese told The Australian Jewish News that any decision he takes on Israel-Palestine will contribute "to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to progress towards a two-state solution". When asked about a 2018 resolution to recognise the State of Palestine, Albanese insisted the motion "has no greater or lesser weight" than it did previously.[164] In October 2022, his government reversed the Morrison government's decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.[165][166]

In February 2022, Albanese condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, remarking in a press release that it was a "grave moment for humanity".[167]

In May 2022, Albanese said Australia's relationship with China would remain "a difficult one".[168] He said that "Australia values human rights. We have spoken out about the treatment of Uyghurs, about what's occurred in Hong Kong, about Taiwan, about other minorities including in Tibet, that are suffering from human rights abuses."[169]

• Middleton, Karen (2016). Albanese: Telling It Straight. Random House Australia. ISBN 9781925324730.