TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Australia's Albanese Labor government sworn in for second term

Kirsty Needham (Reuters)
Sydney
Tue, May 13, 2025 Published on May. 13, 2025 Published on 2025-05-13T09:43:01+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Australia's Albanese Labor government sworn in for second term Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a Labor party election night event, after local media projected the Labor Party's victory, on the day of the Australian federal election, in Sydney, Australia, May 3, 2025. (Reuters/Hollie Adams)

A

ustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was sworn in for a second term on Tuesday, alongside his ministers, after a landslide win at a national election he said had returned the largest center-left Labor government since federation in 1901.

Albanese's Labor Party rode a voter backlash against global instability caused by US President Donald Trump's policies to a come-from-behind victory on May 3.

The opposition conservative Liberal Party, whose leader Peter Dutton lost his seat at the election, selected Sussan Ley as its new leader on Tuesday, a party spokeswoman told reporters.

Ley will become the first woman leader of the federal Liberal Party, which lost city seats in Sydney and Melbourne to women who ran as independent candidates with policies supporting climate change and gender equality in the last two elections.

"Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal Party," Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds told reporters on Tuesday after Ley's win.

The Australian Electoral Commission is yet to finalize vote counting in several seats, although Labor has claimed at least 92 seats out of the 150-seat House of Representatives.

It was the largest Labor caucus since Australia was formed by the federation of six former British colonies in 1901, Albanese said on Monday.

Albanese and his ministers were sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in Canberra, conducted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

The key roles of treasurer, foreign affairs, defense and trade are unchanged. In new roles, Michelle Rowland was sworn in as attorney-general, Murray Watt as environment minister, and Tanya Plibersek as social services minister.

Read also: Albanese to visit Jakarta after being sworn in

Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black said in a statement the ministry showed stability, adding that industry wanted to see reform of environment laws.

"With one in four jobs being trade dependent, it's crucial that business and government continue to secure new opportunities abroad to grow our economy at a time of geopolitical uncertainty," said Black.

Albanese will travel to Indonesia on Wednesday, and will attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday in Rome, where he said he would also hold meetings with other leaders including European Union president Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.