Albanese government

Not to be confused with Albanese ministry or Government of Albania.

Albanese government
In office
23 May 2022 – present
Monarch	Elizabeth II Charles III
Governor-General	David Hurley (May 2022 - July 2024) Sam Mostyn (July 2024 - present)
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Deputy	Richard Marles
Party	Australian Labor Party
Status	Majority
Origin	Labor wins 2022 federal election
Predecessor	Morrison government

The Albanese government is the federal executive government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party. The Albanese government commenced on 23 May 2022, when Albanese and an interim ministry of four other Labor MPs were sworn into their relevant ministerial portfolios by the Governor-General of Australia. The government is composed of members of the Australian Labor Party. The party initially governed with 77 seats on the floor of the House of Representatives, enough for a two-seat majority. Albanese succeeded the Scott Morrison-led Liberal/National Coalition government (2018–2022), which became unable to continue in government following their defeat in the 2022 federal election. This is the first Labor government to be in office at the federal level since the second Rudd government was defeated by the Coalition at the 2013 election. Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles is serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

Background

2022 federal election

Main article: 2022 Australian federal election

The 2022 federal election was called by Morrison on 10 April 2022, when he visited the Governor-General advising the latter to prorogue Parliament and dissolve the House of Representatives. The Governor-General accepted Morrison's recommendations, as is the custom in Australia's Westminster system of government. The Parliament was then prorogued and the House of Representatives dissolved the next morning.

The Labor election campaign focused on aged care in Australia, the introduction of a National Anti-Corruption Commission, childcare subsidies, climate change, a similar Defence budget to the Coalition but with a Defence Posture Review into resources and strategy, education, electric vehicles, farming, health, housing, infrastructure, a review of the NDIS, as well as measures to help older Australians.

The election was held on 21 May 2022. As of 10:00PM AEST on election night, the Labor Party (led by Anthony Albanese) was projected to form a government by ABC News, although it was not clear whether they would have a majority or a minority. Notable outcomes included the popularity of community independents in several inner-city seats, costing Treasurer and Deputy Liberal Leader Josh Frydenberg his seat; a particularly sizable swing from the Coalition to Labor in Western Australia; and notably strong support for the Australian Greens in some inner-city Brisbane seats.

After the bulk of the votes had been counted and a Labor victory appeared inevitable, Morrison conceded the election, and then announced his intention to resign as the Liberal Party leader. The Coalition's loss was attributed to Morrison's unpopularity with voters and the popularity of centrist "teal independents" in certain inner-city electorates. Albanese, who also made history as the first Italian-Australian to secure the position of Prime Minister, was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Australia on 23 May 2022.

Appointments

Interim Ministry

Although it was not certain on election night that Labor would win a majority, no other party could realistically form a government. Accordingly, two days after the election, Albanese, deputy leader Richard Marles, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers, and senators Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher were sworn in as an interim five-person ministry. The five ministers divided all portfolios between them until the full ministry was determined. According to Australia's ABC News, the governor-general David Hurley would not have sworn in Albanese without assurances that Labor could provide stable government, as well as legal advice that this was the proper course of action. Albanese confirmed that he secured confidence and supply from the crossbench in the event that he was not able to form majority government.

Ministry

Albanese announced the composition of his full Ministry on 31 May 2022. Given that frontbenchers Kristina Keneally and Terri Butler were not re-elected, Murray Watt and Clare O’Neil were chosen by the Labor caucus to replace them in the cabinet. With 19 female frontbenchers and 10 female cabinet ministers, it became the most gender-equal ministry in Australian history. The full ministry was sworn in by Governor-General David Hurley on 1 June 2022.

Albanese announced a reshuffle of his Ministry on 28 July 2024.

Public service

Phil Gaetjens, the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Scott Morrison, took leave the day before the Albanese government was sworn in. This had been expected given Albanese had indicated he would not want Gaetjens to continue in the role. On 6 June 2022, former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis replaced Gaetjens.

In June 2024, the government announced that Matt Kean, a former Liberal Treasurer of New South Wales, would be appointed to lead the Climate Change Authority.

Judiciary

On 17 October 2022, Jayne Jagot was sworn in as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, replacing the retiring Justice Patrick Keane. On Jagot's appointment, the High Court of Australia had a majority of female Justices for the first time in its history.

On 6 November 2023, Justice Stephen Gageler was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Australia, upon the retirement of Susan Kiefel. On the same day, Robert Beech-Jones was sworn in as a High Court justice, replacing Justice Gageler. Their appointments ended the brief female majority on the court.

Ambassadorships

On 30 September 2022, the government announced that it had nominated former Defence Minister Stephen Smith as the next High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom.

On 20 December 2022, the government announced that it had nominated former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as the next Ambassador of Australia to the United States.

Governor-General

On 3 April 2024, the Prime Minister announced that King Charles III of Australia had approved Albanese's appointment of Sam Mostyn to succeed General David Hurley as Governor-General of Australia on 1 July 2024.

Government Officials

Jillian Segal AO: Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. Appointed in July 2024, Ms. Segal has a long history of advocacy for Jewish communities and combating antisemitism.

Aftab Malik: Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. Appointed in October 2024, Mr. Malik is a prominent Muslim leader and advocate for interfaith dialogue.

Term of government (2022–present)

Foreign affairs, trade and defence

Penny Wong and Antony Blinken at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting

Penny Wong was sworn in as Minister for Foreign Affairs on 23 May 2022 as part of the interim Albanese ministry. The new Prime Minister and Minister flew to Tokyo almost immediately after being sworn in to attend a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting with fellow world leaders United States President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. At the meeting, Albanese and Wong confirmed that the new government intended to make additional action on climate change a key part of Australia's foreign policy moving forward.

In May 2024, RNZ reported that the Albanese Government had slightly increased Australia's foreign aid budget by four percent, bringing its total 2024-2025 aid to A$4.961 billion budget. In August 2023, the Government had released its new international development strategy, which promised new country, gender, disability and humanitarian aid strategies.

China

Main article: Australia-China relations § Albanese Government:2022–present

Albanese, US president Joe Biden, and British prime minister Rishi Sunak at the AUKUS meeting in San Diego

On 12 June 2022 Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles held a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. It was the highest-level contact between Australia and China in almost three years following a deterioration in Australia-China relations under the previous Morrison government. The two ministers discussed an incident involving the Chinese interception of a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing P-8 Poseidon over the South China Sea and political developments in the Pacific Islands. Earlier, Marles reiterated his government's commitment to pursuing a "productive relationship" with China while advancing its own national interests and regional security within a rules-based system. In response to Chinese concerns that AUKUS was a "mini-NATO", Marles stated that AUKUS was not an alliance similar to NATO but rather focused on the "sharing and development of capabilities" between Australia, the United Kingdom, and United States.

In November 2022 Albanese held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bringing an end to the longest diplomatic freeze in 50 years between Australia and China. In December 2022 Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited China, the first Australian minister to visit the country since 2019, where she met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

In early 2023 China ended its unofficial ban on imports of Australian coal, with all restrictions reportedly being lifted by 14 March. On 11 April the countries announced that they reached an agreement over disputes over China's barley imports from Australia, with China agreeing to review its tariffs in exchange for Australia suspending a case against China in the World Trade Organization WTO. These developments were followed by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu's visit to Australia in mid-April 2023 and Australia Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell's visit to Beijing, which marked the first visits by senior Chinese and Australian visits since 2017 and 2019 respectively. Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian announced on 18 May that China would allow imports of Australian timber, which was suspended in 2020. This was followed by the lifting of China's 80% tariff on Australian barley in early August 2023.

In September 2023 the Australian and Chinese governments held a High-Level Dialogue in Beijing, the first in three years, with former trade minister Craig Emerson leading the Australian delegation, while China was represented by former foreign minister Li Zhaoxing. Later that month Albanese met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit held in Jakarta. On 11 October, Australian journalist Cheng Lei, a former CGTN news anchor who was detained in September 2020, was released and returned to Australia. Between 4 and 7 November, Albanese visited Shanghai and Beijing, becoming the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years. The trip, described as an effort to improve Australian-Chinese bilateral relations, coincided with the 50th anniversary of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam's first state visit to China. During the trip he gave a speech at the China International Import Expo, and met with Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping.

In mid-June 2024 Albanese hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his state visit to Australia. China agreed to extend visa-free access to Australians visiting China for up to 15 days. The two governments also agreed to provide reciprocal five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business and visiting family members. In addition, the two governments agreed to hold talks on improving bilateral military relations to avoid incidents such as the 2023 sonar attack on divers from HMAS Toowoomba. Despite a largely productive visit, an incident occurred when Chinese officials attempted to obstruct Cheng Lei, who had since become a Sky News Australia journalist.

Despite the improving of Australian-Chinese bilateral relations during the Albanese government, flashpoints have included Australia's continuation of the AUKUS submarine deal, a sonar attack on Royal Australian Navy divers from HMAS Toowoomba by the Chinese destroyer Ningbo near Japan in November 2023, Australia's agreement to brief New Zealand about AUKUS Pillar 2 developments in February 2024, the targeting of 20 Australian lawmakers involved in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) by Chinese spies (APT31) in April 2024, and a confrontation between a Chinese Air Force jet and Australian military helicopter near North Korea in May 2024.

Europe

Albanese meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv

On 1 July 2022, Albanese travelled to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making him the first Australian Prime Minister to make a diplomatic visit to Ukraine. Albanese pledged a further $100 million in aid to assist with the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. In addition, Albanese and the Australian delegation visited Kyiv and Bucha on 4 July 2022, which had seen fighting with Russian forces.

In early December 2022, Albanese hosted Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Sydney; which marked the first state visit by a Finnish head of government to Australia. During the visit, the two leaders discussed several issues including the Australia-European Union trade agreement, human rights, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and climate change mitigation.

In early May 2023, Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley attended the coronation of Charles III in London. A cannon salute was also held in Australia to mark the occasion.

In early July 2023, Albanese visited Germany ahead of the NATO summit in Lithuania. Prior to a scheduled meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Albanese confirmed a bilateral deal to sell Australian-made armoured vehicles to Germany.

In July 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Marles announced a further $250 million in military assistance, the largest single military package from Australia to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

India

Main article: Australia–India relations

Albanese visited India between 8 and 11 March, where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Australia-India Annual Leaders' Summit in New Delhi. The state visit focused on bilateral trade and investment, renewable energy, technology, defence and security cooperation, and educational and cultural ties. Australia and India had previously signed the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which came into force on 29 December 2022. During the visit, Albanese and Modi attended the fourth Australia-India cricket test at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the two leaders also rode a chariot in a lap of honour. Modi reciprocated with a two-day state visit to Sydney on 22 May 2023 where he met Australian political and business leaders including Albanese.

Israel-Palestine

Main articles: Australia–Israel relations and Australia–Palestine relations

In October 2022, the Albanese government reversed the previous Morrison government's decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Foreign Minister Penny Wong reaffirmed that Jerusalem's status should be decided through peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

In addition, Albanese has condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement despite support for a boycott of Israel from elements within the Labor Party including New South Wales Legislative Council member Walt Secord and the NSW Young Labor Left.

In August 2023, Wong confirmed that Australia would revert to its pre-2014 policy of designating the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip as "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and the Israeli settlements there as "illegal".

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War on 7 October 2023, the Albanese government defended Israel's right to defend itself and retaliate against Hamas' attack. Wong also called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas. Despite its support for Israel, the Albanese government declined to supply weapons to Israel since the start of the conflict.

In May 2024, the Albanese government voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution that determined that Palestine met the requirements for United Nations membership. Wong subsequently confirmed that the vote did not mean that Australia would recognise Palestinian statehood but was rather about extending "modest additional rights to participate in United Nations forums." She reiterated that Australia would only recognise Palestine "when we think the time is right" and that a reformed Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, should "lead its people" in a future Palestinian state.

New Zealand

Main article: Australia–New Zealand relations

On 10 June 2022, Albanese hosted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on her first official visit to Australia since 2020. The two leaders discussed a range of issues including Australia's controversial Section 501 deportation policy (which had disproportionately affected New Zealanders living in Australia), growing Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands, climate change, and working with Pacific neighbours.

On 7 February 2023, Albanese hosted his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins, who had succeeded Ardern in late January 2023. Besides reaffirming Australian-New Zealand bilateral relations, they also discussed the controversial Section 501 deportation policy. Albanese reiterated that his government would revise the deportation policy to take into account individuals' connections to Australia and the length of time they had lived in the country. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles also issued Ministerial Directive 99 requiring Australian immigration officials to consider a non-citizen's community ties and length of time spent in Australia when cancelling a visa. This policy change was welcomed by Hipkins and the New Zealand Government.

On 22 April 2023, Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, and Giles announced the creation of a new direct pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holders, commencing 1 July 2023. Under the policy, SCV holders who have resided in Australia for at least four years and met other residency requirements will be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship without having to apply for permanent residency. In addition, children born in Australia to a New Zealand citizen from 1 July will automatically be eligible for Australian citizenship. The announcement was welcomed by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Oz Kiwi chairperson Joanne Cox for improving New Zealanders' access to Australian citizenship, health and social security services.

On 26 July 2023, Albanese met with Hipkins as part of the annual Australia-New Zealand leaders' meeting.

In May 2024, following criticism from opposition politicians that Ministerial Directive 99 had allowed several non-citizens convicted of serious crimes to remain in Australia, Albanese and Giles confirmed that the immigration directive would be revised. On 7 June 2024, Giles issued "Directive 110", which clarified that non-citizens convicted of serious crimes could be deported despite living their whole lives in Australia. In response, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed concern that people with little or no connection with New Zealand were being deported back to the country."

Southeast Asia

On 6 June 2022, Albanese along with Foreign Minister Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and Industry Minister Ed Husic visited Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta to reaffirm relations with Indonesia and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

On 3 July 2023, Albanese hosted Indonesian President Widodo during a 36-hour visit to Sydney, where he also met several Australian business and political leaders.

On 6 September 2023, Albanese attended the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta to promote trade relations with the region. On 8 September, Albanese met with Philippines President Bongbong Marcos in Manila, marking the first state visit to the Philippines by an Australian Prime Minister in two decades. The two governments agreed to conduct joint naval patrols in the South China Sea.

During 4–6 March 2024, Australia hosted a 'special summit' between Australia and the member nations of ASEAN to mark 50 years of diplomatic dialogue relations. Several diplomatic and economic initiatives were reached at the summit, including a $2 billion 'Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility', a $140 million infrastructure development partnership, and expanded business visa programs.

The Pacific

On 12 January 2023, Albanese became the first foreign leader to address the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea. That same day, he and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape signed a joint statement pledging that the two countries would reach a new security deal by late April 2023.

In early November 2023, Albanese attended the Pacific Islands Forum annual meeting in the Cook Islands where he met several leaders including Tuvalan Prime Minister Kausea Natano. Key issues discussed at the meeting included the impact of Australian carbon emissions, climate change, nuclear safety, and ongoing US-China tensions. On 10 November 2023, Albanese and Natano signed a bilateral pact between Australia and Tuvalu. Under the terms of the treaty, Tuvalan citizens will be given a "special mobility pathway" that would allow them to live and work in Australia. In addition, Australia will respond to major natural disasters, pandemics or military aggression against Tuvalu. In return, Australia will have a veto power over Tuvalu's security and defence agreements with other countries.

On 28 August 2024, the Albanese government's Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI) won the support of member states of the Pacific Islands Forum, which Australia is a member. Under the PPI, the Australian federal government will establish a police development and coordination hub in Brisbane for training Pacific police officers. In addition, a "Pacific Police Support Group" will also be established to help with natural disasters, emergencies and other events. Four police training centres of excellence will also be set up across the Pacific, with Australia contributing about A$400m in infrastructure funding over five years. Albanese described the launch of the Pacific Police Initiative as a "great outcome" for Pacific security. Melanesian Spearhead Group director-general Leonard Louma and Vanuatan Prime Minister Charlot Salwai expressed concern that the PPI could be used by Australian and New Zealand to serve Western interests and lock China out of the region. By contrast, Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Tuvalan Prime Minister Feleti Teo and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed support for the PPI. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele expressed cautious support for the Pacific Police Initiative but said that national consultation was important.

United States

In late October 2023, Albanese undertook a four-day state visit to Washington, DC where he met United States President Joe Biden, Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd and several members of the United States Congress. Key objectives of the visit including lobbying Congress to pass AUKUS-related legislation, sign new deals on critical minerals and discuss issues with China and the Israel-Hamas War. On 14 December 2023, Congress passed legislation allowing nuclear-powered submarines to be sold to Australia under the AUKUS agreement.

Defence and security cooperation

On 11 June 2022, Albanese announced that the French defence contractor Naval Group had agreed to settle the previous Morrison government's 2021 cancellation of the 12 Attack-class submarines for a €555 million (AU$830 million) compensation settlement. In response, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu welcomed the settlement and stated that France aims to rebuild its relationship with Australia. Later that month, Albanese met with French President Emmanuel Macron in France.

In late September 2023, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced that 500 Australian troops would be relocated to Townsville over the course of six years from 2025 to strengthen the Australian Army's ability to conduct operations missions in the Pacific. This announcement was criticised by the city's mayor Jenny Hill who claimed that Townsville City Council was not consulted about military personnel's housing.

On 29 September, Marles announced that the Australian Defence Force would be retiring its fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters following a fatal crash during Exercise Talisman Sabre in July 2024 which killed four military personnel.

In early February 2024, Foreign Minister Wong and Defence Minister Marles hosted their New Zealand counterparts Winston Peters and Judith Collins for a joint bilateral meeting of foreign and defence ministers in Melbourne. Marles confirmed that Australia would send officials to brief their New Zealand counterparts about AUKUS Pillar Two, which would focus on advanced military technology including quantum computing and artificial intelligence. New Zealand is not expected to join AUKUS Pillar One due to its nuclear-free policy. The two governments also committed to reinforced security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and increased military integration between the Australian and New Zealand militaries.

Economy

Katy Gallagher, current Finance Minister

Jim Chalmers was sworn in as Treasurer of Australia and Katy Gallagher was sworn in as Finance Minister as part of the interim Albanese ministry.

The Albanese government commenced amidst the continuation of the global surge in inflation, which began in 2021. The Australian inflation rate peaked at 7.5% at the end of 2022: a 32-year high. By November 2023, the Reserve Bank of Australia had raised interest rates to 4.35%, a 12-year high.

Tax cuts

On 28 February 2023, the government announced that it would seek to cut tax concessions on superannuation accounts with more than $3 million. It intends to legislate this term for a change to take effect in 2025.

In January 2024, the government announced a restructuring of the stage three tax cuts, to give greater benefits to lower-income earners. The Coalition criticised Albanese and the government for breaking a promise, and initially suggested they would not support the legislation. Opposition leader Peter Dutton called for an election over the change to stage three. The Coalition eventually supported the legislation in both houses.

Budgets

Early in the government's term, Treasurer Chalmers confirmed that the new government would hand down a revised budget in October 2022. In the lead up to the October budget, Chalmers and Gallagher launched an audit to highlight any waste left behind by the previous government. Secretary of the Department of Treasury Steven Kennedy noted that the budget needed to be brought under control and that the tax system needed to be made fit for use.

On 25 October 2022, Chalmers handed down a revised budget — the first under the Albanese government. The budget forecast that inflation would peak at 7.75% at the end of the year. The budget also took steps to fund the government's election promises largely by using funding earmarked by the former government which had not yet been spent.

In May 2023, Chalmers handed down the Albanese government's second budget. The budget delivered a surplus of $22.1 billion (equivalent to 0.9% of Australia's GDP), which was well above the government's forecasted surplus of $4.3 billion; this was Australia's first budget surplus in 15 years, and the largest ever Australian budget surplus.

In May 2024, Chalmers handed down the government's third budget. This budget delivered a surplus of $9.3 billion, making it the first consecutive surplus in an Australian federal budget since 2007–08.

'Future Made in Australia' manufacturing policy

In April 2024, Prime Minister Albanese announced a major industrial policy called 'Future Made in Australia', which seeks to promote Australian manufacturing in sustainable energy.

As part of the policy, the government's third budget contained $22.7 billion over a decade in support of domestic green hydroden, solar-panel manufacturing, and mining of critical minerals. This includes a $1 billion 'Solar Sunshot' program to support solar panel manufacturing in Australia, and a $566 million 'Resourcing Australia's Prosperity' initiative for geomapping for mining resources.

In July 2024, the Albanese government introduced legislation to give further effect to the policy.

Industrial relations and employment

Tony Burke, current Minister for Employment and Leader of the House

Tony Burke was appointed Minister for Employment. On 23 May 2022, Albanese announced that he would summon an employment summit including unions and business leaders. The summit was expected to be held in September 2022. Albanese flagged a number of changes to industrial relations law including criminalising wage theft.

On 27 May 2022, the Prime Minister 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. Burke 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. The Fair Work Commission subsequently announced on 15 June 2022 that the minimum wage would be raised by 5.2%.

The government passed new workplace harassment laws through the Parliament on 28 November 2022. The news laws implement the recommendation of the Respect@Work Report to create a positive duty requiring employers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation.

On 2 December 2022, the government's Secure Jobs, Better Pay law passed the Parliament. Under the new laws, unions can now negotiate multi-employer pay deals in an effort to secure wage increases across particular sectors such as child care and aged care. The law also aims to close the gender pay gap by prohibiting pay secrecy employment clauses and secures the right of workers to seek flexible working arrangements.

On 13 December 2023, Australian fedaral and state workplace ministers agreed to ban the use, supply and manufacturing of engineered stone from 1 July 2024 following a Safe Work Australia report which found the rates of silicosis and silica-related diseases had risen substantially particularly among engineered stone workers.

In its May 2024 budget, the government announced that superannuation would be added to Commonwealth-funded paid parental leave from 1 July 2025.

Parliamentary affairs

Tony Burke was also appointed Leader of the House in the Albanese ministry. Prior to being sworn in, Burke said that he was determined to ‘fix’ parliamentary procedures and noted that the situation had become a "farce" during the previous Parliament. Burke confirmed in the first week of the Albanese government that he had already begun discussions to this end with the incoming crossbench including Independent MP Helen Haines.

On 24 June 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese decided to cut crossbench advisory staff from 4 to the pre-Coalition level of 1. This decision worsened the government's relations with the Senate crossbench and the Teal independents, with many crossbench Parliamentarians later having their staff allocations increased after making direct appeals to Albanese.

On 7 July 2022, Albanese unveiled a new ministerial code of conduct which prohibited ministers from utilising blind trusts. This was in response to the blind trust used by Christian Porter under the previous government to fund personal defamation proceedings brought by him.

On 26 August 2022, Albanese and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced that the government had appointed former High Court Justice Virginia Bell to lead an inquiry into the appointment of former Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, to administer departments other than the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and related matters". Bell found that Morrison's appointments were corrosive of public trust in government and recommended the implementation of legislation requiring the public announcement of ministerial appointments. Albanese confirmed that he would recommend that his cabinet implement all of Bell's recommendations in this regard and Burke successfully moved a motion in the House censuring Morrison on 30 November 2022, making him the first former prime minister to be censured.

On 9 February 2023, former Liberal Party cabinet minister Alan Tudge resigned from Parliament, triggering a by-election in his seat of Aston. In an unexpected result, Labor's Mary Doyle won the by-election, marking the first time a governing party won a by-election against the opposition since 1920. As a result of this, Albanese's government increased their majority in the House of Representatives to 78 of 151 seats.

Health

Mark Butler was appointed Health Minister.

During the 2022 election campaign, Labor committed $135 million to fund 50 bulk-billed urgent care clinics, a policy designed to ease pressure on hospital emergency wards. By the start of 2024, 58 clinics had opened across every state and territory of Australia. Over the first six months of operation, more than 130,000 patients were treated for non-life-threatening medical emergencies.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

In October 2022, the government's cheaper medications bill passed the parliament. The new law reduced the cost of PBS medications by 29% and reduced the co-payment.

COVID-19 pandemic

On 30 June 2022, Butler ordered an inquiry into Australia's COVID-19 vaccine supplies, future variant jabs and how the rollout was caught short at the height of the pandemic. The review will also examine the deals struck by the former government to purchase vaccines and therapeutic treatments.

Pandemic leave payments and access to free rapid antigen tests for concession card holders expired on 1 July 2022. The new government initially did not take steps to extend these programs, but reinstated them on 16 July 2022.

On 3 July 2022, Butler announced that from 12:01am on 6 July 2022 changes to the Biosecurity Act will come into effect which provide that persons seeking to visit Australia will no longer have to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status.

On 7 July 2022, Butler confirmed that persons aged over 30 would be eligible to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose from 11 July 2022.

The government altered rules governing isolation periods so that persons infected with the virus only need isolate for 5 days from 9 September 2022. Albanese announced on 30 September that a mandatory isolation period would no longer apply at all for persons infected with COVID-19.

On 21 September 2023, Albanese announced an independent inquiry into the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, led by former public servant Robyn Kruk, infectious diseases expert Catherine Bennett and economist Angela Jackson. The royal inquiry drew criticism from the Australian Medical Association, Human Rights Commissioner, the opposition Coalition leader Peter Dutton for excluding state and territorial governments from its scope.

Aged care

The first bill to pass the new Parliament was one responding to the 17 recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission. The legislation amended the aged care funding model and introduces new reporting and transparency requirements.

The government also introduced a bill in the first sitting of the new parliament seeking to implement its election commitment to ensure that there is a nurse in nursing homes at all times. This bill was passed by the Parliament on 27 October 2022.

The government entered submissions to the Fair Work Commission supporting the case for a wage increase in the aged care industry and committed to funding any such increase. The Commission ordered a 15% increase and the government is expected to enter submissions related to the timing and implementation of this.

NDIS

Providers in the National Disability Insurance Scheme are being scrutinised for fraud, and a multiagency task force will be formed to look into this issue.

Energy and Climate Change

Chris Bowen, current Minister for Climate Change and Energy

Chris Bowen was appointed Minister for Climate Change and Energy in the Albanese ministry.

On 16 June 2022, Bowen and 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. These targets were also codified in legislation which the government passed with support from the Greens and crossbench senators.

In late 2022, the Albanese government announced reforms to the "safeguard mechanism", which requires Australia's largest carbon emitters to keep their emissions under a "baseline limit", either by reducing them, or by purchasing carbon credits. The scheme was introduced by the Turnbull government in 2016, but failed to reduce emissions as the rules were often left unenforced. However, the amendments were met by opposition from the Australian Greens, whose support is crucial for the government in the Senate; Greens leader Adam Bandt argued that the reforms did not go far enough. The two parties reached an agreement on 27 March, with the Greens negotiating a "hard cap" on emissions that cannot be offset by carbon credits. The bill was passed on 30 March 2023, marking the most significant piece of climate change legislation passed through the Australian Parliament since 2011's Clean Energy Act.

In late 2023, Australia re-joined the United Nations' Green Climate Fund, from which the previous Morrison government had withdrawn in 2018. As part of re-joining, the Albanese government committed $150 million in climate finance to Pacific island countries.

Energy prices

Shortly after the Albanese government came to office, Australia entered into an energy crisis marked by significantly increased power prices. Bowen convened a meeting with his state and territory counterparts on 8 June 2022. While it was agreed that there was no short-term solution to the current crisis, a plan was put in place to ensure the market is in a better position in the future. At the meeting, the ministers agreed to expedite work on a capacity mechanism which will require the energy regulator to pay retailers to maintain excess capacity. The ministers have also agreed to work on a national energy transition plan ahead of their next meeting in July 2022.

On 9 December 2022, Albanese announced that National Cabinet had agreed to a plan put forward by the government to deal with rising energy prices by introducing gas and energy price caps. Albanese also announced that he would recall the Parliament to deal with the energy intervention bill before the end of the year. The bill passed the Parliament on 15 December 2022. It introduced a 12-month cap on energy prices and a $1.5 billion relief package for households and businesses.

Electric vehicles

In July 2022, the Albanese government introduced a bill to exempt certain electric vehicles from fringe benefits tax. This passed Parliament in November 2022.

In March 2024, the Albanese government introduced a bill to apply a vehicle emission standard to new vehicles sold in Australia from 1 July 2025. The Parliament passed this New Vehicle Effiency Standard in May 2024.

Environment

Tanya Plibersek, current Minister for the Environment and Water, speaking in late 2013

Tanya Plibersek was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water.

Plibersek attended the UN ocean conference in Lisbon on 26 June 2022 where she announced five new blue carbon projects which are understood to include assistance for developing nations to safeguard the health of their oceans.

On 19 July 2022, Plibersek released the State of the Environment Report which had been handed to the previous government in December 2021. The Report provided that every category of the Australian environment – apart from urban environments – was now in a poor and deteriorating state. In response, Plibersek announced that the government would adopt a new target of protecting 30% of the Australian environment and promised stronger environmental protection legislation to be introduced in 2023.

On 8 December 2022, Plibersek announced that the government would commit to a reform of federal environmental laws, in response to an independent review first submitted to the Morrison government in 2020. The reform would include the creation of a federal Environment Protection Agency (EPA) which would impose legally binding environmental standards and oversee decision-making processes of the states and territories, as well as increased restrictions to native logging and the establishment of a "traffic light" rating system where some areas could be designated as having a high conservation value. The government planned to introduce legislation to Parliament before the end of 2023. On 29 May 2024, Plibersek introduced to Parliament a modified version of the reforms.

Indigenous affairs

Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians from 2022 to 2024

At Albanese's first press conference as Prime Minister, the podium flags in the blue room at Parliament were changed to include Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags in addition to the Australian flag. Upon the opening of the new Parliament, both flags began to be displayed in the House of Representatives and Senate chambers.

Linda Burney was sworn in as Minister for Indigenous Australians on 1 June 2022. She was the first Indigenous woman to serve in the role. In July 2024, following Minister Burney's retirement from the Cabinet, her Assistant Minister Malarndirri McCarthy became the new Minister for Indigenous Australians.

Disparity in health and socio-economic outcomes between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous, remained an issue under the Albanese Government. In February 2024, data released by the Australian Productivity Commission indicating that only five of 19 target health and socioeconomic outcomes were on track to reach parity by the intended 2031 deadline.

Uluru Statement from the Heart

When declaring victory on election night, Albanese confirmed that his government was committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full within its first term.

The Statement outlined three key reforms intended to improve First Nations justice in Australia including:

• “Voice” a constitutionally-enshrined representative body from which First Nations can advocate for their peoples to the parliament and government,
• “Treaty” formal agreement-making processes between Australian governments and First Nations, and
• “Truth” a formal “truth-telling” process about First Nations history.

The Statement proposed the establishment of a Makarrata Commission to oversee Treaty and Truth.

On 30 July 2022, Albanese attended the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures where he announced the proposed question the government intended to put to a referendum for the inclusion of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution: "Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?".

On 3 February 2023, all first ministers signed a statement of intent through the National Cabinet committing to support constitutional recognition of a Voice to Parliament.

A referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was held on the 14 October 2023 and was rejected nationally. The Yes23 campaign co-chair Rachel Perkins called for a week of silence "to grieve this outcome and reflect on its meaning and significance".

On 3 August 2024, Albanese announced his government no longer intended to pursue Truth and Treaty through the establishment of a formal Makaratta Commission.

Justice

National Anti-Corruption Commission

Attorney-General of Australia Mark Dreyfus in 2015

Main article: National Anti-Corruption Commission (Australia)

During the election campaign, Albanese confirmed that his government would seek to establish a federal National Anti-Corruption Commission within its first year in office. On the day he was sworn in, Albanese confirmed that he had already ordered work to begin on this task. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said that the government's legislation would include provision for the commission to investigate pork-barrelling as well as “serious and systemic” past corruption allegations.

In September 2022, Dreyfus introduced a bill to establish a National Anti-Corruption Commission. The bill passed the Parliament on 30 November 2022 in line with the government's commitment to establish an anti-corruption commission prior to the end of 2022. The Commission came into existence on 1 July 2023.

Bernard Collaery prosecution

On 7 July 2022, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus exercised his power under section 71 of the Judiciary Act to cease proceedings against Bernard Collaery in connection with the Australia–East Timor spying scandal.

Administrative Appeals Tribunal

On 16 December 2022, the Labor Albanese government announced that it will abolish the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and replace it with a new body, claiming that the AAT had been "fatally compromised" by political appointments and "cronyism".

On 28 May 2024, the legislation to establish the AAT's replacement, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), passed the Parliament and is due to commence in October 2024.

Antisemitism

In June 2023, the Albanese government introduced legislation to ban the public display of Nazi symbols, including the Nazi salute. The ban passed Parliament in December 2023 and came into effect the following month.

In July 2024, Albanese appointed Jillian Segal as Australian special envoy on antisemitism owing to the rise in antisemitic activity in Australia following the October 7 attacks in Israel. Her appointment was supported by the federal opposition.

Education

Jason Clare was appointed Minister for Education. On 17 June 2022, Clare confirmed that the Albanese government intends to make changes which give schools a choice of whether to hire a religious or secular pastoral care worker through the National School Chaplaincy Programme.

Clare announced an Australian Universities Accord with the terms of reference covering funding, affordability, employment conditions for staff and how universities and TAFEs can work together. The Accord's final report is due to be handed down in December 2023.

Child care

In November 2022, the parliament passed the government's cheaper childcare laws. The new laws commenced operation in July 2023 and increased the childcare subsidy from 85% to 90% for families on an income below $80,000.

Housing

Julie Collins, current Minister for Housing

Julie Collins was appointed Minister for Housing. The government's Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee was launched on 1 October 2022. The program provides a government guarantee of up to 15 per cent for eligible first home buyers, so regional Australians with a deposit of as little as 5 per cent can avoid paying lenders’ mortgage insurance.

Welfare

The Albanese government announced that existing mutual obligation penalties would be expunged from people's records as the government transitioned to the Workforce Australia system for JobSeeker, saying that it was "too late" to scrap the system. A review of the Workforce Australia JobSeeker scheme will be tabled in parliament in September 2023.

Legislation to end the Cashless Debit Card was passed by the House of Representatives, and will be considered by the Senate in September. Cashless Debit Card users in the Northern Territory will be transitioned back onto the BasicsCard, a Howard-era income management scheme, despite Labor promising prior to the election to end compulsory income management.

A Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme was announced by Albanese with Letters Patent issued on 25 August 2022. The Royal Commission will be chaired by former Queensland Supreme Court Justice Catherine Holmes and is expected to conclude on 18 April 2023. The Albanese government agreed to all recommendations of the royal commission, either in full or in principle, but rejected a recommendation about the freedom of information act.

Immigration

Clare O'Neil, Minister for Home Affairs from 2022 to 2024

Clare O'Neil was appointed Minister for Home Affairs.

On 27 May 2022, Jim Chalmers announced that he had, as interim Minister for Home Affairs, exercised his power to allow the Murugappan family to return home to Biloela on bridging visas.

In September 2022, the Albanese government increased the permanent migration intake from 160,000 to a record 195,000 a year. Net overseas migration is expected to reach 650,000 over 2022–2023, and 2023–2024, the highest in Australian history.

In November 2022, the Albanese government started repatriation of ISIS brides from Syria. Some Western Sydney locals and mayors criticised the repatriations, as well as the Opposition. The government has not revealed the cost of the repatriations. In December 2022, the Albanese government announced that it would abolish the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and replace it with a new body.

In the leadup to the 2022 election, Labor promised that it would abolish temporary protection visas, as of early 2023 it had allowed 19,000 asylum seekers to permanently settle in Australia.

In November 2023, the Hight Court held that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful. In response to this ruling and demands from those indefinitely detained, the Albanese government began releasing people clearly impacted by the case. Within a week, 80 people were released, with Giles saying that all are on visa conditions including reporting. The Albanese government is seeking to clarify if the government must release people from immigration detention if they have refused to cooperate with attempts to deport them. The government is seeking to enact legislation that will jail immigration detainees and unlawful non-citizens for a minimum of one year if they do not cooperate with attempts to deport them.

In December 2023, the Albanese government released its ten -year migration strategy which includes increasing minimum English language requirements for international students and tightening visa processes for migrant workers.

International student migration

In January 2024, the government signalled changes that would make it easier for international students to settle permanently in Australia. However, on 1 July 2024, the government enacted policy changes intended to limit the available of visas for international student graduates. These changes included excluding students aged over 35 years from the Temporary Graduate visa scheme, reducing the time students are permitted to remain and work in Australia after completing their tertiary studies, increasing financial capacity requirements, and increasing English language requirements.

On 1 July 2024, the government announced plans to increase the fee for international student visas from $710 to $1600. Representatives from the university sector expressed concern that the increased fee would deter international students from studying in Australia.

On 27 August 2024, the Australian Government announced plans to limit the number of international student tertiary enrolments to 270,000, with 145,000 enrolments allocated to university enrolments. On 6 September 2024, the government announced the maximum number of student enrolments allocated to each Australian university. In response to the Albanese Government's announcement, the Allen government in Victoria voiced concerns that the change could cost the Victorian economy $5.9 billion by 2027. During a senate inquiry into the proposed legislation, representatives from the Australian university sector voiced similar concerns about the economic impact of the policy, and the consequent effects on long term tertiary education outcomes for both international and domestic students.

Territory rights

Kristy McBain was appointed Minister for the Territories. In June 2022, she confirmed that the government intended to introduce a bill to give the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory the right to enact their own voluntary-assisted dying laws. However, she noted that the government had no plans to expand the number of senators representing the Australian Capital Territory despite its rapidly expanding population.

On 1 December 2022, the government's bill to empower the Territories to make laws relating to voluntary-assisted dying passed the Parliament.

2022 floods response

Following the 2022 New South Wales floods in July 2022, the government announced one-off, non-means tested disaster relief payments to persons living in 29 local government areas impacted by the disaster.

On 12 July 2022, Albanese announced a further $80 million to assist with clean-up efforts as well as grants for farmers, small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and local councils. Albanese also announced $36 million for a program to assess buildings and flooded properties including free demolition of those found to be unlivable.

Following the 2022 south eastern Australia floods, the federal government made a one-off, non-means tested disaster recovery payment of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child available. Across the states suffering in the crisis, 23 local government areas were made eligible.

Republic

Matt Thistlethwaite was appointed the first Assistant Minister for the Republic on 1 June 2022. Thistlethwaite confirmed that the government's priority during its first term would be to seek constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, but that a transition to a republic could be on the agenda for a potential second term.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Albanese reiterated that his government would not pursue becoming a republic during their first parliamentary term. In July 2024, the role of Assistant Minister for the Republic was abolished.

Australia Day

On 16 December 2022, the Albanese government removed a Morrison government requirement for local councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on 26 January, Australia Day.

On 18 January 2023, the Albanese government removed a Morrison government ban on federal public servants working on Australia Day.

Culture

On 30 January 2023, Albanese unveiled a new national cultural policy 'Revive' with $286 million in funding over four years, labelled the most significant investment in Australian culture since the Keating government, with a focus on literature, music, cinema and television, and First Nations language and culture.

Internet and social media

TikTok

On 4 April 2023, the Albanese government banned the video streaming app TikTok on all government devices, including the mobile phones of politicians. Prior to the Australian federal government's ban, 68 federal agencies had banned TikTok on work-related mobile devices by early March 2023. The federal government subsequently began a review of TikTok on 21 March 2023.

Age verification trial

In May 2024, the federal government allocated A$6.5 million from the 2024 Australian federal budget to a pilot age verification scheme meant to protect children from accessing pornography and other harmful digital content in response to a sharp rise in domestic violence nationally.

Minimum age for social media access

On 10 September 2024, Albanese and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland confirmed that the federal government would introduce legislation to enforce a minimum age for access to social media and other relevant digital platforms. The federal government would also work with states and territorial governments to develop a uniform framework. Albanese said that the legislation was intended to safeguard the safety and mental and physical health of young people while Rowland said that the proposed legislation would hold big tech to account for harmful online environments and social media addiction among children. The minimum age is likely to be set between 14 and 16 years of age. The federal government's announcement followed South Australia's plan to restrict social media access to people aged 14 and above, and the Coalition's promise to restrict social media access to people aged 16 if it won the next Australian federal election. On the 7th November 2024, the age was confirmed as 16 on his Instagram.

The federal government's moves to impose a social media age limit was supported by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Queensland Premier Steven Miles. The Coalition's communications spokesman David Coleman said social media age verification should be limited to those aged 16 and above. In response, the Australian Association of Psychologists director Carly Dober described the Government's proposed social media age limit as a "bandaid response to a very complicated and deeply entrenched issue." She also said that the ban ignored the benefits that online spaces could offer to young people, especially those from marginalised communities. Similar criticism was echoed by Daniel Angus, director of the Queensland University of Technology Digital Media Research Centre, and the Australian Internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, who expressed concern that a social media ban would exclude young people from "meaningful" digital engagement and access to critical support.

On 7 November, Prime Minister Albanese confirmed that the Government would introduce legislation in November to ban young people under the age of 16 from using social media. The proposed legislation would not include exemptions for young people who already have social media accounts or those with parental consent. The children's advocacy group Australian Child Rights Taskforce criticised the proposed law as a "blunt instrument" and urged the Albanese government to instead impose safety standards on social media platforms. By contrast, the 36Months initiative has supported the social media age limit on the grounds that excessive social media usage was "rewiring young brains" and causing an "epidemic of mental illness."

Social media regulation

On 12 September 2024, the Albanese federal government introduced legislation to combat misinformation on social media around election integrity, public health, incitement of hatred and violence, and disrupted key infrastructure or emergency services. The federal government also said it would force social media platforms to set up guidelines for combating misinformation. The federal government also plans to establish a regulator that would set standards for social media companies and have the power to fine companies up to five percent of their annual revenue for non-compliance. In response, big tech mogul and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk denounced the Australian government as "fascists." Government Services Minister Bill Shorten accused Musk of being disingenuous about free speech, stating "When it's in its commercial interests, he [Elon Musk] is the champion of free speech and when he doesn't like it... he's going to shut it all down."

Sports

In early September 2024, the Albanese government launched its National Gender Equity in Sports Governance Policy to boost the representation of women in governance and leadership positions in Australian sports by creating a financial initiative for sporting bodies to make their boards more equal. Under the policy, national and state-level sporting bodies across Australia must have an equal split of men and women on their boards by 1 July 2027 or risk having their funding suspended. This policy was developed in collaboration by the Albanese government, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), and the various State and Territory Agencies for Sport and Recreation.

See also

• Albanese ministry
• 47th Parliament of Australia
• 2020s in Australia political history