Sarkis Karam –
With the start of the Australian Parliament sessions, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is entering a very important phase in his political career. His clear majority victory in the recent federal election has given him greater confidence and momentum to advance his agenda and fulfill his election promises, including addressing the high cost of living, the housing crisis, and reducing student debt—issues HECS that enjoy broad popular support. However, at the same time, he does not have a majority in the Senate, forcing him to face a significant coalition opposition led by Susan Ley, who will seek to hold him accountable economically and politically in order to regain some of the popular support she lost.
To demonstrate the resolve stemming from his landslide victory in the recent elections, Albanese issued an explicit warning to the opposition coalition, minor parties, and independents to cooperate in facilitating the passage of the required laws, emphasizing the importance of respecting the broad popular mandate the Labor Party received in the last election. His supporters see this move as a necessity for passing legislation, while his opponents view it as a departure from the spirit of proper democratic practice stemming from a sense of overconfidence. This warning highlighted the prime minister’s need to strike a balance between passing necessary bills and legislation and preserving long-standing parliamentary traditions.
At the same time, Albanese is working to consolidate his role abroad through a more pragmatic policy. He achieved notable success during his recent visit to China, where a new page was opened in bilateral relations, with positive signals from Beijing aimed at strengthening economic cooperation with Australia. This achievement gives the government breathing space to confront inflation and price pressures.
Despite significant improvements in relations with China, foreign relations remain incomplete. Albanese has so far failed to arrange an official meeting with US President Donald Trump during his second term, raising questions about the future of the Australian-American alliance, a cornerstone of Australian national security. This shortcoming could be exploited by the opposition to portray the government as shifting toward China at the expense of Washington, potentially embarrassing Albanese and placing him on the defensive.
Although his recent visit to China and the warm welcome he received appeared to be an indirect message to Washington, the Australian Prime Minister understands that he must maintain a delicate balance between China as a strategic economic partner and America as an indispensable security ally, without provoking either or favoring one party over the other.
This is a testing phase for the leadership of Albanese and his Labor government, which holds 94 seats in Parliament but does not have a majority in the Senate. This will determine whether he is able to combine “majoritarian” assertiveness with diplomacy, and between domestic needs and international balance.
There is no doubt that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is making steady progress toward fulfilling his promises, particularly those aimed at alleviating the suffering of Australians on several levels, most notably the high cost of living and the housing crisis that has made Australian cities, particularly Sydney, among the most expensive real estate in the world.
However, despite these efforts, Albanese still needs more positive cooperation domestically, beyond issuing “warnings.” He also needs to intensify efforts to repair relations with the United States, a historical ally.
The non-partisan Australian voter has repeatedly proven his ability to quickly shift his position from support to opposition when he feels his aspirations have not been adequately met, and there are numerous examples of this throughout Australian political life.