Who is Anthony Albanese?
Anthony Albanese was born in Sydney in 1963 and has been the Member for Grayndler in inner Sydney since 1996. He served as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Leader of the House in the Rudd and Gillard governments from 2007 to 2013, and briefly as Deputy Prime Minister in 2013. He became Labor leader in 2019 and Prime Minister after the May 2022 election. Labor was re-elected with an increased majority in May 2025. His governments have focused on cost of living, housing, Medicare, climate targets and industrial policy, and held the unsuccessful 2023 referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Previously: Leader of the Australian Labor Party (since May 2019) · Leader of the Opposition (2019-2022) · Deputy Prime Minister (2013) · Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (2007-2013)
Documented positions
- Expanded Medicare bulk billing, opened Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and capped PBS medicine costs at 25 dollars.Source: alp.org.au
- Made free TAFE permanent and cut student debt by 20 percent.Source: alp.org.au
- Backs a target of 1.2 million new homes and 5 percent deposits for first home buyers.Source: alp.org.au
- His government's 2026-27 Budget proposed limiting negative gearing to new builds from July 2027, with existing holdings grandfathered, and replacing the capital gains discount with indexation.Source: thenightly.com.au
- Put net zero into law and committed to a 62 to 70 percent emissions cut by 2035, with investment in local clean energy manufacturing.Source: alp.org.au
- Delivered tax cuts and supported minimum wage increases and the scrapping of junior pay rates for young adult workers.Source: alp.org.au
- Recognised the State of Palestine on 21 September 2025, citing Palestinian Authority commitments to reform and elections and stating that Hamas must have no role.Source: pm.gov.au
- Describes Melbourne's multicultural society as a strength and, in October 2026, said the Commonwealth had committed 7 billion dollars to Melbourne Airport Rail.Source: pm.gov.au
- Supported US action against Iran when the US and Israel launched strikes in February 2026, saying Australia supports the US acting to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon.Source: english.alarabiya.net
Record
In his first term Albanese's government created the Housing Australia Future Fund, legislated the 2030 emissions target, introduced a social media minimum age of 16, began implementation of AUKUS and held the 2023 Voice referendum, which voters rejected in every state. In the second term it set the 2035 target, passed environmental law reforms creating a National Environmental Protection Agency in November 2025, and concluded free trade negotiations with the European Union in March 2026. After the December 2025 Bondi Beach shooting it passed the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism legislation in January 2026 and announced a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell.
Supporters cite cost of living relief, Medicare expansion, wage growth and climate policy. Critics cite housing affordability, energy prices, inflation, high migration levels after the pandemic and the defeat of the Voice referendum.
