With him, the Australians “voted for change”. Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese donned the costume of Australia’s future Prime Minister on Saturday May 21 after his party won the general election, ousting outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison. At the age of 59, he ended nine years of conservative rule over the vast land continent. Here are five things to remember about his journey before he is expected to take office on Monday.
1He survived an accident in 2021
Anthony Albanese is a prodigy who was hospitalized in critical condition after a collision between his car and an SUV driven by a teenager last year. “I thought that was the end,” he has said ever since. Nicknamed “Albo” by his followers, he explained that his encounter with death gave him the energy to change everything.
Labor was way behind the Conservatives in the polls at the time. At 59, Anthony Albanese can now boast of a recovery on all fronts: he regained his health, lost 40 pounds and consolidated his authority at the head of his party. He is bringing Labor back to power thanks to targeted attacks on the government’s handling of the pandemic and the catastrophic fires of the southern summer of 2020 after hurtling up the polls.
2He had a humble childhood
Anthony Albanese was first elected to Parliament in 1996. At the time, he dedicated his first speech to his mother, Maryanne Ellery, who had raised him alone in Sydney council housing “very difficult in economic circumstances”. He was the first member of his family to study at university.
A Labor activist since high school, he says his working-class background shaped his worldview. “It says a lot about this country,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion, “that someone from my background can stand before you today hoping to be elected prime minister of this country.”
3He grew up without his father
After the birth of his only son, Nathan, in 2000, Anthony Albanese set out to find his father, Carlo Albanese, using an old photograph as the only clue. He had eventually reunited with him in his hometown of Barletta, Italy, and reconciled with him before his death in 2014. “The last conversation we had was saying we were glad we found each other,” he said.
“I grew up believing that he was dead,” he explained. “That says a lot about the pressure that was put on women.” Anthony Albanese said his mother, a Catholic, decided to name him after his father even though they had never married and never lived together. Anthony Albanese will become the first Australian leader to go by a surname other than Anglo-Saxon or Celtic.
4He has a silly image
After rising through the ranks of the Labor Party, ‘Albo’ became Minister for Transport in 2007 when Kevin Rudd came to power. He retained this portfolio under the next Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and then became leader of the opposition after Labor was defeated in the 2019 election.
He was unable to travel the country during the pandemic but still managed to make himself known to voters. During his campaign, he evaded journalists who captured him asking what Australia’s unemployment rate was and what the central bank’s interest rate was. “This is something that prime ministers need to know,” Scott Morrison said. “We have seen that he is not up to the task and it is overwhelmed.”
The person concerned had put this misstep into perspective. “Everyone makes mistakes in life. The question is whether we can learn from it. This government keeps repeating the same mistakes,” he replied.
5He wants to green Australia’s image
In his victory speech, the future prime minister promised to make Australia a “superpower” for renewable energy. The climate was a key campaign issue after years of conservative support for the fossil fuel industry.
Labor has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 43% by 2030 from 2005 levels, well above the current 28% target. However, he did not say whether he wanted to abandon coal or ban the opening of new mines, a sector on which the country’s economy still depends heavily.
After nine years of conservative government, Anthony Albanese promises further major changes, be it measures to support purchasing power, the extension of the rights of the indigenous population or the fight against corruption. He therefore wants to set up a “powerful, transparent and independent” federal anti-corruption monitoring agency by the end of the year. Australian governments are regularly accused of using public funds for electoral purposes in some hotly contested constituencies.