Anthony Albanese (OG).Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese is an Australian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Australia since June 1, 2022. Born on March 2, 1963, in Sydney, he was raised by his mother in a financially challenging environment. Albanese pursued higher education at the University of Sydney, where he became actively involved in student politics and aligned himself with left-wing political movements. He joined the Australian Labor Party and began his political career in 1996 when he was elected to the House of Representatives for the division of Grayndler.

Throughout his career, Albanese held various significant roles, including Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Deputy Prime Minister under Kevin Rudd. After a brief period in opposition, he became the Leader of the Labor Party in 2019, leading the party to victory in the 2022 federal elections. As Prime Minister, he has focused on progressive policies, including environmental protections, workers' rights, and international relations, notably strengthening ties with Europe and the United States. Albanese also advocates for social issues such as abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights. He has a personal history in Australian politics, having been married to fellow politician Carmel Tebbutt, with whom he shares a son.

Published in: 2024

By: Biscontini, Tyler

Anthony Albanese

Born: March 2, 1963

Background

Anthony Albanese was born on March 2, 1963, in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst, New South Wales, to parents Carlo Albanese and Maryanne Ellery. His mother raised him alone, telling Albanese that his father had died in a car accident. This was not true, and Albanese would locate his father later in life.

Albanese and his mother struggled financially throughout his childhood. He attended St. Joseph’s Primary School in Camperdown, a suburb of Sydney. Following his time at St Joseph’s, he studied at the University of Sydney.

While studying at the University of Sydney, Albanese heavily involved himself with student politics. He was elected to the Students’ Representative Council, where he quickly became associated with left-wing political groups, including the Communist Party of Australia. He graduated from the University of Sydney in 1984 with a degree in economics.

After college, Albanese found work as part of the Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services as a research officer. In 1989, he cemented his associations with the Australian Labor Party by becoming the Assistant General Secretary of the New South Wales branch of the organization. He remained in that role through 1995, after which he found work as a senior advisor to prominent politician Bob Carr.

Life’s Work

Albanese first entered the legislative branch of the Australian Government in 1996. The division of Grayndler, New South Wales, became vacant after Jeanette McHugh announced that she would not continue to contest her seat. Albanese was elected to the seat as part of the Labor Party, earning a place in Australia’s House of Representatives.

In 1998, Albanese accepted a position as a parliamentary secretary. In 2001, he was promoted to the opposition Shadow Cabinet. The following year, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Employment Services and training. He remained in that position until 2004, when he was appointed Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage. In 2005, Albanese took on the roles of Shadow Minister for Water and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House.

The Labor Party won a major victory in the 2007 election, allowing them to take control of Parliament. This allowed Albanese to become part of the government instead of the opposition. When the Labor Party put forth Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, Albanese was appointed to several positions. These included Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and Leader of the House of Representatives.

Following the 2010 election, the Labor Party retained control of Parliament. However, Rudd was replaced as Prime Minister by Julia Gillard. Albanese continued to play a major role in the Labor Party, retaining his position of Leader of the House of Representatives. In 2013, Rudd retook the position of Prime Minister from Gillard, and Albanese was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. He retained this position until the 2013 election later that year, when the Labor Party lost control of the government and returned to the opposition.

In 2013, Albanese ran for leader of the Labor Party. However, he was defeated by prominent Labor politician Bill Shorten. Following his victory, Shorten appointed Albanese Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Shadow Minister for Tourism. Shorten resigned in 2019, and Albanese once against announced his candidacy for leader of the Labor Party. Albanese ran unopposed, and took on the role of Leader of the Opposition on May 30, 2019.

Albanese led the Labor Party in a close race during the 2022 federal election. He engaged in several prominent debates, during which he polled well with audiences. The Labor Party secured a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives, taking control of the government. As leader of the Labor Party, Albanese became the thirty-first Prime Minister of Australia. His full ministry was sworn in on June 1, 2022.

During his time as Prime Minister, Albanese and the Labor Party continued to pursue their traditional policies. These included environmental protections, an increase to the minimum wage, and additional support for workers. He also donated $100 million in aid to Ukraine during its war with Russia and ended the fifty-year diplomatic freeze between Australia and China.

Impact

Albanese has spent his long political career as part of the Australian Labor Party, which he has led since 2019. He has held numerous positions within the Parliament, including positions within both the governmental Cabinet and the oppositional shadow government.

Albanese was originally aligned with the Australian hard left. Throughout much of his career, he promoted progressive values. Albanese has worked towards safeguarding abortion rights within Australia, decriminalizing most drugs, and legalizing same-sex marriage. He has also supported transgender rights, accepting asylum seekers, and altering Australia’s status as a constitutional monarchy. Since his inauguration as Prime Minister, Albanese has advocated for closer economic and military relations with Europe and the United States.

Personal Life

Albanese met fellow Australian politician Carmel Tebbutt during the Young Labor movement in the 1980s. The couple married in 2000 and had one son together. The couple divorced in 2019. In his spare time, Albanese supports the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club.

Bibliography

“Anthony Albanese Prime Minister of Australia.” Anthony Albanese PM, 2023, anthonyalbanese.com.au/. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

“Anthony’s Story.” Anthony Albanese PM, anthonyalbanese.com.au/anthonys-story. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

Cannane, Steve. “Anthony Albanese Speaks About Frustration over Unsuccessful Attempts at Diplomacy with the US to Free Julian Assange.” ABC News, 4 May 2023, www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-05/albanese-voices-frustration-over-us-campaign-on-julian-assange/102306408. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

Orie, Amarachi. “Anthony Albanese Becomes First Australian Prime Minister to Take Part in Mardi Gras.” CNN, 25 Feb. 2023, www.cnn.com/2023/02/25/australia/australian-prime-minister-mardi-gras-intl/index.html. /

McGuirk, Rod. “Australia PM to Give Allegiance to King but Wants President.” AP News, 5 May 2023, apnews.com/article/australia-albanese-allegiance-king-charles-d12518ae992eb089fea40dfb6e25bb79. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

Remeikis, Amy. “Anthony Albany Makes Time Magazine’s Most Influential People List.” The Guardian, 13 Apr. 2023, www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/14/anthony-albanese-makes-time-magazines-most-influential-people-list. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.