Tag: Anthony Albanese

Chaos at Commonwealth Games after host leaves over a $3.6bn bill

As the host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Australian state of Victoria has withdrawn, raising doubts over whether the event will still take place.

In making his decision, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews noted the event’s soaring costs, noting that the original estimate of $2.6 billion (£1 billion) had grown to $7 billion (£3.6 billion).

The Commonweath Games Federation (CGF) called his comments “hugely disappointing,” and one official called the premier’s numbers “gross exaggerations.”

The organisation claimed it had received only eight hours’ notice of the cancellation and said it was committed to finding an alternative host for the event.

Labor politician Mr Andrews said: ‘What’s become clear is that the cost of hosting these games in 2026 is not the $2.6bn which was budgeted and allocated.

‘It is in fact at least $6bn and could be as high as $7bn, and I cannot stand here and say to you that I have any confidence that even [the] $7bn number would appropriately and adequately fund these games.’

Australian Prime Minister and Labor leader Anthony Albanese told reporters the decision was ‘made by the Victorian government’, and hailed the country’s ‘fine record of hosting events’ when asked if he was embarrassed about the situation.

However, the announcement was met with almost universal condemnation by the heads of Australian sporting bodies.

Australia came top of the medal table at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images)

Kieren Perkins, a four-time Olympic medallist in swimming and chief executive of the Australian Sports Commission, said the day had been a ‘difficult’ one.

He added: ‘For many of our athletes, coaches and support staff, Victoria 2026 was going to be an important stepping stone ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and for others it was to be the pinnacle of their careers.’

On the prospect of finding a new host, he said: ‘To be able to put it together is going to be quite a significant task, and I think this is going to be a very big test for the Commonwealth Games Federation.’

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips said: ‘I would be very careful if I was an international sporting body coming and doing business in this state in the future.’

He continued: ‘The stated costs overrun, in our opinion, are a gross exaggeration and not reflective of the operational costs presented to the Victoria 2026 Organising Committee board as recently as June.’

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the money that was going to be spent on the Games would go towards regional housing and sporting infrastructure instead (Picture: AAPIMAGE)

The CGF, meanwhile, argued that the increase in expense was not its responsibility.

In a statement, it said: ‘Since awarding Victoria the Games, the government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the CGF and Commonwealth Games Australia.’

The competition was last held in Australia when Gold Coast hosted in 2018.

Cities around the country will hold games for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will begin on Thursday, and Brisbane is set to host the Olympic Games in 2032.

Brisbane chief executive Cindy Hook told ABC News she was confident those Games would go ahead as planned.

She said: ‘I’m absolutely focused on the budget, the organising committee will be self funding and we have a long run way and more time than they did to plan, and I think that time if used well, will be very much to our advantage and I’m confident in our model.’

July 19, 2023
Meeting between Xi and Australian PM “a small victory”

Australia’s and China’s leaders will meet for the first time in six years.

High-level communication between the two nations was discontinued as a result of disagreements over trade, human rights, and foreign meddling.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese has said he hopes his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is constructive.

“Dialogue is always a good thing,” he said.

“We enter this discussion with goodwill… [and] no preconditions.”

But Jennifer Hsu, a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia, has warned the meeting is unlikely to bring any real progress.

While the talks are a significant step towards stabilising the relationship and are “a small victory” to be celebrated, too many points of conflict remain, Hsu told the BBC.

And many of them are rooted in “fundamental” differences between the countries, like system of government or values, she adds.

“It would be wrong for us to have great anticipation of this meeting resolving all those issues that have percolated over the last six years,” Hsu said.

Albanese’s government – elected in May – has toned down Australia’s rhetoric towards China, but has repeatedly said its policy approach is no different to that of the previous government.

We looked at whether the two countries are likely to patch things up earlier this year.

Source: BBC

November 15, 2022
Sunak tells Australia’s Prime Minister that the two countries’ relationship excites him

Rishi Sunak told Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that he is “excited” about the two countries relationship.

During a phone call today, the new Tory leader told Mr Albanese that the free trade agreement, Aukus, and the UK’s potential accession to a comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement were all examples of the two countries’ strong relationship.

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A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The prime minister said he was excited by the relationship between the UK and Australia, which was built on deep friendship and a shared approach to global challenges.”

The new prime minister also “welcomed” Australia’s strong support to Ukraine, including the decision to deploy the Australian military to the UK to train Ukrainian forces.

“Both looked forward to meeting in person at the G20 next month,” the spokeswoman added.

October 27, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II: Australians rally against Australia’s Day of Mourning

Indigenous protestors demonstrated against the monarch and the effects of British colonialism on Thursday, as Australia observed a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, and Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, commended Elizabeth for her commitment and service during a formal ceremony in Canberra.

However, crowds have gathered across the country for ‘abolish the monarchy’ protests.

To many Australians, the Queen was a symbol of constancy and dedication, but to indigenous Australians, she represented brutal colonization that stole their land when British settlers arrived in 1788.

Hundreds of anti-monarchists have expressed their opinions on the streets of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.

“The Crown has blood on their hands,” a demonstrator said. “Our people are still dying in this country every single day!”

Protesters burned Australian and British flags as they rallied “against racist colonial imperialism.”

“We don’t get time off for our mourning whereas they have set a public holiday for the Queen. I think that the government could consider more about what goes on in Aboriginal communities,” said a protester.

Governor-general David Hurley, the British monarch’s official representative in Australia, has acknowledged the pain and anguish felt by Indigenous people.

“In considering the unifying role that Her Majesty played, I acknowledge that her passing has prompted different reactions from some of our community. I’m conscious and respect that the response of many First Nations Australians is shaped by our colonial history and broader reconciliation journey. That is a journey we as a nation must complete,” he said.

But many Australians have celebrated Elizabeth’s long service as their head of state at events, large and small, across the country.

Speaking at a national day of mourning ceremony in Canberra, Prime minister Anthony Albanese, praised Elizabeth’s dedication.

“This national day of mourning salutes a sovereign who served our whole nation and sought to know it, too. It is fitting that today’s commemorations in our national capital will be mirrored in communities across our country as Australians express their own affection and respect and celebrate the Queen’s part in their own stories,” he said.

Albanese has ruled out holding another referendum on Australia becoming a republic until at least 2025, preferring instead to focus on enshrining indigenous rights in the constitution.

Australia’s rejected severing its constitutional ties to the British monarchy in a referendum in 1999.

September 22, 2022
Australia election: Anthony Albanese signals climate policy change

Australia’s new leader has vowed to take the country in a new direction, with a big shift in climate policy.

Anthony Albanese, who won Saturday’s election with the opposition centre-left Labor Party, said Australia could become a renewable energy superpower.

He is to be sworn in as PM on Monday, but it is not clear whether his party will have a majority in parliament.

Climate change was a key concern for voters, after three years of record-breaking bushfire and flood events.

Outgoing PM Scott Morrison, the leader of an ousted Liberal-National coalition, thanked the “miracle of the Australian people” after conceding.

Vote counting is still going on, and it is unclear whether Labor can get 76 seats to secure a majority in the 151-member lower house of parliament.

Final results may not be known for several days, as electoral officials have just started counting nearly three million postal votes.

If the election results in a hung parliament, Greens and independents – who have been campaigning for radical climate change action – could wield greater influence in framing the new government’s policies on the issue.

Speaking to the BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil shortly after his election victory, Mr Albanese, 59, said: “We have an opportunity now to end the climate wars in Australia.

“Australian businesses know that good action on climate change is good for jobs and good for our economy, and I want to join the global effort.”

Mr Albanese, who will be heading Australia’s first Labor government in almost a decade, also promised to adopt more ambitious emissions targets.

However, he has so far refused calls to phase out coal use, or to block the opening of new coal mines.

Source: BBC

May 22, 2022
Australia election: Anthony Albanese leads Labor to Australian election victory

Anthony Albanese is set to become Australia’s next prime minister after leading the Labor Party to its first election victory in more than a decade.

One of the country’s longest-serving politicians, he promised voters “safe change” as he worked to kick out the conservative Liberal-National coalition which has been in power since 2013.

Where ousted Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a self-described “bulldozer”, Mr Albanese vows to be a “builder”.

After the pandemic, which saw Australian states cut off from each other and cities splintered by strict lockdowns, fostering unity is a top priority for the new leader.

“I want to bring Australians together. I want to seek our common purpose and promote unity and optimism, not fear and division,” he said in a victory speech on Saturday night.

So who is Albo?

Mr Albanese has earned a reputation as a defender of Australia’s free healthcare system, an advocate for the LGBT community, a republican, and a passionate rugby league fan.

The 59-year-old – nicknamed Albo – was raised in social housing by a single mother on a disability pension. He has often cited his upbringing as the foundation for his progressive beliefs.

Mr Albanese believed his father had died before he was born, but as a teenager he learned his mother had in fact fallen pregnant to a married man – who was very likely still alive – while travelling in Europe.

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Image caption, Mr Albanese credits his humble beginnings as the foundation for his progressive beliefs

Three decades later he tracked down Carlo Albanese, flying to Italy to meet his father for the first time, and his half-siblings.

Mr Albanese said his mother, Maryanne Ellery, was determined to ensure he had opportunities that she never did. With her support, he became the first in his family to finish school and go to university.

He has said creating a better world for his own son, Nathan, is the inspiration behind his public life. Mr Albanese separated from his wife of 19 years in 2019 but partner Jodie Haydon joined him on the campaign trail.

MP for 25 years

Mr Albanese has been the Labor Party leader for three years, taking over after the shock election defeat of predecessor Bill Shorten in 2019.

But he has been a Labor Party stalwart since his 20s.

He worked in both federal and state politics before he was elected on his 33rd birthday to an inner-city Sydney seat in 1996.

In 2007, when Labor swept to power under Kevin Rudd, Mr Albanese became the minister for infrastructure and transport.

He remained an influential figure as the party entered a tumultuous period after it replaced Mr Rudd with Julia Gillard in 2010.

IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Anthony Albanese was instrumental in Kevin Rudd returning as prime minister in 2013

When Mr Rudd reclaimed the prime ministership in 2013, Mr Albanese’s backing saw him elevated to deputy prime minister. However he only held the position for 10 weeks because Labor lost the election.

Mr Albanese then put himself forward to be head of the party. Despite being popular among rank-and-file party members, rival Bill Shorten had more support among members of parliament and got the job, becoming Australia’s opposition leader.

But Mr Albanese’s time finally came in 2019, after Mr Shorten lost two elections and was unseated as the Labor leader.

Australia’s next PM

Mr Albanese has been a leading voice of the Labor Party’s left faction, but since becoming leader he has positioned himself more towards the centre.

In the lead up to the election he was at pains to prove he is “not woke” – an appeal to more conservative voters who abandoned the party at the 2019 poll.

This has included walking back his support of more aggressive climate action policies while ramping up tougher rhetoric on China and national security.

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Image caption, As leader, Mr Albanese has tried to appeal to more voters in the centre

He has also backed Australia’s controversial policy to turn back any asylum seekers arriving by boat – something he once publicly opposed.

Mr Albanese has undergone a physical transformation in recent years, losing weight and debuting a new wardrobe, crediting a car crash in 2021 as a wakeup call.

He stayed true to his Labor roots, however, in promising big spending on the country’s troubled aged care sector, cheaper childcare, and reinvigorating the manufacturing industry.

Labor has pledged to hold a referendum on enshrining in the constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament – an advisory body that would give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a role in shaping policies that affect them.

Mr Albanese opened his victory speech by reiterating this promise.

IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Labor leader Anthony Albanese will become Australia’s next prime minister, and his beloved dog Toto its next first pooch

His other key pledge was to leave no Australians behind – referencing his own upbringing.

“It says a lot about our great country that a son of a single mum who was a disability pensioner, who grew up in public housing… can stand before you tonight as Australia’s Prime Minister.”

“I want Australia to continue to be a country that no matter where you live, who you worship, who you love or what your last name is, that places no restrictions on your journey in life.

“I hope that my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars. “

Source: BBC

May 22, 2022