Federal election 2022
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to change the way politics is conducted in Australia, as he confirmed he had received assurances of confidence and supply from the key crossbenchers in the new parliament.
In his first address to the nation after being sworn in to office on Monday morning, Albanese outlined his immediate priorities of establishing a national anti-corruption commission, advancing constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, and convening an employment summit.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to do politics differently, as he addressed the nation for the first time after being sworn in as the nation’s 31st prime minister. Credit:James Brickwood
“Australians have voted for change. My government intends to implement that change in an orderly way,” Albanese said in a press conference at Parliament House.
“I want to bring people together and I want to change the way that politics is conducted in this country.”
He said Australians had conflict fatigue, as he vowed to lead a government that brought people together, saying: “I do believe that we can do politics better and I hope to do so.”
On Monday morning, Albanese and four members of his senior leadership team were sworn in as an interim ministry as he and newly anointed Foreign Minister Penny Wong prepared to fly to Tokyo for the Quad regional security talks on Tuesday.
The five-member interim ministry will remain in place for just over a week, with the Labor caucus to meet next Tuesday to formally endorse the new front bench. The full ministry will then be sworn in next Wednesday at Government House.
“I will then convene the first meeting of the new ministry. We just had an informal meeting of this [interim] group. We will have a meeting of the ministry next Wednesday, along with meetings of the appropriate cabinet committees,” Albanese said.
Albanese said he remained hopeful Labor would secure a majority in the House of Representatives and form government in its own right, but he had spoken to five re-elected MPs on the crossbench who had assured him of confidence and supply.
“I have received and have had discussions with the existing members of the crossbench and received confirmation from Rebekha Sharkie, Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines and Zali Steggall that they would not support any no-confidence motions against the government and that they would also secure supply,” Albanese said.
Labor has so far secured 72 seats, with the counting of preferences continuing in a swag of key seats. It needs a minimum of 76 seats to form majority in its own right.
Swearing the oath to “well and truly serve the Commonwealth of Australia” before Governor-General David Hurley, Albanese officially became Australia’s 31st prime minister on Monday. His son Nathan and partner Jodie Haydon were among the small group of attendees at the ceremony.
Victorian MP Richard Marles was sworn in as deputy prime minister and employment minister, and will be Acting Prime Minister for a short time until Albanese and Wong return on Wednesday. Queensland’s Jim Chalmers was sworn in as treasurer, while ACT senator Katy Gallagher became Australia’s new finance minister, attorney-general and minister for women. Wong, a South Australian senator, became Australia’s first overseas-born foreign minister.
Albanese also outlined the agenda for the Quad talks, which include bilateral meetings with United States President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I received a phone call last night and had a very fruitful and positive conversation renewing my acquaintance with President Biden. The relationship with the United States is our most important, along with our relationships in the region and our multilateral commitments as well,” Albanese said.
More to come
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