Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, following his re-election, has declared that reducing student debt will be the first priority of his government, due to high increasing real estate prices students are unable to afford a home
Australia PM Anthony Albanese.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, following his re-election, has declared that reducing student debt will be the first legislative priority of his renewed administration. This move comes in the wake of an election where, for the first time, younger generations outnumbered Baby Boomers at the polls, according to the AP.
Baby Boomers are those born between the end of World War II and 1964 and have traditionally influenced election agendas in Australia. However, their long-standing dominance is now shifting, reflecting broader generational change in the country's political landscape.
Addressing a crowded room of centre-left Labour Party lawmakers in Parliament on Friday, Albanese reaffirmed his government’s commitment to easing the financial burden on young Australians. He announced that when Parliament resumes in late July, the first bill to be introduced will propose a 20% reduction in student debt.
“This is important not just in itself but for what it says about our commitment to intergenerational equity,” Albanese said.
Young Australians, especially those struggling with student loans, are increasingly unable to purchase their first homes due to skyrocketing real estate prices and limited housing development, a growing concern the Albanese government would be tackling.
As vote counting continued on Friday, the Labour party was seen to secure 88 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, up from 78 in the previous parliament. Meanwhile, the conservative opposition alliance was expected to win only 41 seats, according to AP.
Albanese praised the diversity of the newly elected Labour lawmakers, noting that once vote counting concludes,out which 57% of them are expected to be women, a reflection of the broader Australian demographic, where women made up 50.7% of the population in the 2021 census, reported AP.
“I see people of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different experiences, different faiths. I see a diverse group of people that are truly representative of our nation,” Albanese told colleagues.
However, the formation of the new Cabinet has drawn criticism for excluding Jewish and Muslim ministers. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, the most senior Jewish member of the government, and Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic, a prominent Muslim figure, were both dropped from Cabinet.
According to Dreyfus staffer Stephen Spencer, this marks the first time since 2010 that Australia will have no Jewish minister in government. Cabinet appointments are determined by internal party factions, each entitled to a proportion of positions based on their share of elected lawmakers.
While key ministers such as Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Richard Marles, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher are expected to retain their portfolios, the remainder of the Cabinet is yet to be confirmed.
Sydney Muslim community leader Jamal Rifi urged Albanese to reconsider removing Husic, who represents the multicultural region of southwest Sydney, a Labour stronghold with a large Muslim population.
“The prime minister needs to reflect on what sort of message he sends to all these people who worked hard in southwestern Sydney for the government's re-election,” Rifi said.
Husic has been among the government’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Two weeks after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Husic stated: “I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished... for Hamas' barbarism,” reported AP.
Despite the backlash, the meeting of Labour lawmakers on Friday approved the 30 appointments to Cabinet and junior ministries. Health Minister Mark Butler mentioned that junior minister Anne Aly, a Muslim woman, is expected to be promoted to Cabinet next week, potentially replacing Husic.
“It’s a tough day for Ed and for Mark,” Butler told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
(With inputs from AP)
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