Newcomer Anthony Albanese Takes Office as Prime Minister, Australia's Center-Left Labor Government Secures a Second Term in Power
Sydney: Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, officially commenced his second term on Tuesday, with his newly appointed ministers, following an overwhelming victory in a national election that he declared brought the largest centre-left Labor government since Federation in 1901.
Albanese's Labor Party cashed in on a public backlash against global instability caused by US President Donald Trump's policies, securing a comeback victory on May 3, 2025.
Previously the leader of the opposition Conservative Liberal Party, Peter Dutton, lost his seat in the election. On Tuesday, the party tapped Sussan Ley as their new leader, a spokeswoman confirmed to reporters. Ley becomes the first woman to head the federal Liberal Party, a position traditionally held by men.
The Liberal Party experienced setbacks in city seats, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, which were captured by female independent candidates endorsing climate change and gender equality policies in the last two elections.
Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds emphasized the message sent by the Australian voters when speaking to reporters, saying, "Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal Party."
The Australian Electoral Commission is still finalizing vote counts in several seats. As of Albanese's statement on Monday, the Labor Party had claimed at least 92 seats out of the 150-seat House of Representatives.
In a historic ceremony at Government House in Canberra, conducted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Albanese and his ministers were officially sworn in. Key roles like treasurer, foreign affairs, defense, and trade remain unchanged. Among the new ministerial roles, Michelle Rowland was appointed as attorney-general, Murray Watt as environment minister, and Tanya Plibersek as social services minister.
The Business Council of Australia appreciated the stable ministry. CEO Bran Black conveyed that the reform of environment laws was one of the sector's top priorities, stating that a seventh of jobs in the nation are trade-dependent and depend on securing international opportunities during these uncertain times.
Albanese is planning to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV in Rome on Sunday. He intends to discuss trade and seek support from European Union president Ursula von der Leyen, among other leaders, during his trip to Indonesia on Wednesday and Rome.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
(Enrichment Data: Sussan Ley, the new leader of the Australian Liberal Party, was elected in May 2025. She is the first woman to hold this position. The Liberal Party, under her leadership, generally maintains a center-right stance, focusing on economic liberalism, social conservatism, and promoting free market policies.)
- The newly elected leader of the Australian Liberal Party, Sussan Ley, who assumed the role in May 2025, is the first woman to hold the position traditionally dominated by men in the federal Liberal Party.
- Amidst the ongoing global economic instability, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is planning to discuss trade during his trip to Rome, seeking support from European Union president Ursula von der Leyen, as a seventh of jobs in Australia are trade-dependent and require securing international opportunities in these uncertain times.
