Last year, Anthony Albanese—the Prime Minister of Australia—first came to power during what was set to be an “integrity” election. His campaign theme was about bringing trust back to government. This promise resonated with voters exhausted by a decade of political discord. In defeating Scott Morrison, Albanese positioned himself as the leader capable of mending the fractured relationship between the public and their government.
Crucially, as Albanese’s government heads into the summer, it does so buoyed by a string of successes. Yet the work of earning back that trust is far from over. The Albanese administration – trust, integrity and delivery – all pass with varying degrees of success. As they try to shore up their standing with the American public, they face a host of competing, convoluted challenges.
The Integrity Election
When Albanese first took office, he did so on the promise of integrity as the guiding principle of his government. His upset victory over Scott Morrison last May was a historic win for the Australian Labor Party. It represented a crucial, first step towards greater accountability in government. With so many voters seeing this election as a referendum on trust, it became the most important election in Australian political history.
Albanese is serious about restoring faith in government. He knows that faith in these institutions is plummeting worldwide. In his own words, “We all know this is a moment when trust in our governments, our leaders and institutions is on trial.” This powerful insight underpins everything he’s doing as he shepherds his new government through a series of potentially painful reforms to rebuild public trust.
Albanese would be the first to hold up his decisive re-election victory last month as proof of success. His victory at the ballot box is evidence that a significant number of citizens support his vision. They just want a more credible, more trustworthy government. He admits that the road to re-establish general trust is far from over.
A High Note for Albanese’s Government
As Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government heads into the summer, their political skies are sunny. It comes on the heels of a historic finish to the political calendar, having passed no less than four politically challenging reforms that had been languishing for years. The administration’s wide margin of advantage in opinion polls. Against all odds, this boost serves as a capstone to its impressive run thus far.
Yet, the opposition is deeply divided as it stumbles toward Christmas. This presents an opportunity for Albanese to further solidify his administration’s agenda without significant pushback from a demoralized rival party. Analysts say that the current political landscape presents unprecedented opportunities for Albanese to pursue aggressive reforms without much opposition.
In spite of these benefits, the federal government continues to come under fire for its management of integrity concerns. Critics have noted that Albanese’s administration has so far failed to fully adopt all recommendations related to integrity in board appointments. Make no mistake, Lynelle Briggs raised an essential alarm. As she said, “Integrity in board appointments are one of the first gateways to integrity in the government.”
Challenges on Trust and Integrity
While Albanese’s government has begun to make progress in noticeable areas, it is coming under fire on several other fronts. When the administration has moved on recommendations like banning advertisements for online betting, it’s adopted a go-slow approach. Advocacy groups and the general public have recently expressed enthusiasm and concern about this decision. The government has faced resistance from the well-resourced platforms and from chunks of the Trump administration itself to its priorities.
Yet Albanese’s government has stood firm on the controversial issues in the face of this mounting challenge. Integrity experts are cautioning that without addressing the public’s concerns on integrity, we might unravel the good work achieved up to this point. As independent David Pocock said in his victory speech, “just look at the major party primary vote and it’s really not that surprising.” Most importantly, he stressed that voter mood is unstable and responsive to government behavior.
