His promise, he put it into practice less than two days after the victory of Labor in the legislative elections, and a few hours after his swearing in. As of Monday, May 23, Anthony Albanese, “Albo” for his friends, flew to Tokyo where he is today taking part in an informal summit intended to counter the influence of China in the region. While he was until now a complete unknown on the international scene.
Great to meet @POTUS today to reaffirm the warm friendship between our two nations based on our shared values. We discussed AUKUS, working together with regional partners, and making comprehensive action on climate change a new pillar of our Alliance. pic.twitter.com/vEB9UY0cuo
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 24, 2022
He met there one-on-one with his Indian and Japanese counterparts, but also with American President Joe Biden. This first international trip is “a good way to send the message to the world that there is a new government in Australia“he said”A government that represents a change in how we will deal with the world on issues like climate change“. A four-hour trip before returning home with the intention of getting to work right away.
Concretely, Anthony Albanese Labor promises more ambition in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions: he wants to reduce them by 43% by 2030 compared to 2005, while his predecessor capped at 28%. The country is per capita one of the most polluting countries on the planet. In his victory speech he also promised to turn Australia into a“superpower” renewable energies. Albo represents the left wing of his party, a political formation which has shifted strongly towards the centre, even towards the right. In recent years, Labor has voted with the Conservatives to allocate billions of dollars in subsidies to the fossil fuel sector.
The Greens would also like it to go even further; they reproach him for never having spoken explicitly for the end of coal, which remains one of the driving forces of the economy and still has many partisans among the Labor Party. He never said either if he intended to prohibit the opening of new mines. On the social side he promised to increase the minimum wage, to simplify access to the health insurance system or to strengthen the participation of aborigines in politics.
His coming to power is first of all a rejection of the previous government. Voters in Australia have clearly punished the Conservatives who have been in power for nine years. Above all, they sanctioned their climate inaction, while the country experienced unprecedented natural disasters during their mandate. Long periods of drought, devastating floods… gigantic fires (the forests that burned represent an area equivalent to that of Finland).
However, during his tenure, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, one of the spokespersons of climate skepticism, unreservedly supported the coal industry.
The protest vote therefore went to a large number of small pro-environment candidates, around twenty in total, who even won constituencies reputed to be strongholds of the liberal coalition and who today hold the keys to power.
Does the country really have the means to match its ambitions? Australia is the second world exporter of coal, the mines still employ approximately 300,000 people. Obviously it will not transform its economic model overnight.
But the change is already in the words and it is progress. Moreover, in the forefront of foreign leaders who enthusiastically welcomed the election of the new prime minister are the Pacific islands, such as Fiji, threatened by rising waters. Expectations that must not be disappointed. If he wants to permanently repair the image of his country, Anthony Albanese will have to move from words to action.