Albanese sworn in as PM in Australia ahead of Tokyo summit

Canberra, May 23 (BNA): Australia’s new prime minister was sworn in on Monday and flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden while votes were still counted to determine whether he would control a majority in parliament demanding tougher action on climate change. .

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s left-wing Labor Party ousted Scott Morrison’s Conservative coalition in Saturday’s election. The Associated Press reported that the coalition has been in power under the leadership of three prime ministers for nine years.

“I want to lead a government that has the same sense of optimism and I hope to think it defines the Australian people,” Albanese said in his hometown of Sydney before heading to the national capital Canberra to take the oath.

Albanese, who describes himself as the first-ever “non-Anglo-Celtic” prime ministerial candidate, and Malaysian-born Benny Wong, the first Australian foreign minister to be born abroad, were sworn in by Governor-General David Hurley before the duo headed to Tokyo for a security summit. On Tuesday with Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We will return (from Japan) on Wednesday and begin to implement our agenda that has been championed by the Australian people,” Albanese said, referring to items such as climate change, affordable child care and strengthening medical care.

The White House said Biden called Albanese to congratulate him on his election victory and to express the president’s desire to strengthen the two countries’ alliance.

Albanese described their conversation as “very productive and positive”.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was also sworn in and will serve as Prime Minister while Albanese is in Japan. Katie Gallagher and Jim Chalmers have been sworn in as Ministers of Economic Affairs.

Labor appears assured of 75 seats, short of the majority in the 151-seat House of Representatives needed to form an administration. The Australian Electoral Commission said the conservative coalition was on track to get 58 seats, while unaligned lawmakers approached 12 and six seats.

Albanese said he had the support of five unbiased lawmakers to back his administration if Labor failed to achieve a majority government.

FKN