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Six days that changed everything for Albanese: His first week as prime minister in photos

By David Crowe and Alex Ellinghausen

Six days can change everything. On Saturday night, Anthony Albanese cooked pasta for friends at his home in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville without knowing how the federal election result would decide his fate.

By Friday morning, he was running the government in briefings with department chiefs after a lightning visit to a global summit in Japan where he was greeted warmly by leaders who backed his stand on the need for greater action on climate change.

The images here, taken by Alex Ellinghausen, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Canberra photographer, capture one of the most frenetic weeks in Australian politics.

As the results started rolling in, anxiety turned to relief for Labor supporters gathered at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club.

As the results started rolling in, anxiety turned to relief for Labor supporters gathered at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL Club.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Election night began with a tense group of Labor supporters gathering at a Sydney RSL club, their faces revealing their anxiety about whether the night would end in triumph or despair. The memory of their defeat in 2019 was still fresh enough to restrain their spirits.

People were hugging, kissing and crying.

People were hugging, kissing and crying.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The mood in the room in 2019, at a hotel in the Melbourne district of Essendon Fields, began with high hopes and turned to grief as the hours passed. Labor supporters gathered in a large function room and watched a large television screen in disbelief at their defeat.

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Last Saturday, by contrast, the tension began early and eased as the hours passed. As the results started rolling in, anxiety turned to relief.

People were hugging, kissing and crying. And then cheering. When Labor supporters grieve, they grieve hard. When they win, they party hard.

The Labor crowd watching Scott Morrison concede the election.

The Labor crowd watching Scott Morrison concede the election.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Once the crowd had seen Scott Morrison concede the election, it could not wait for Albanese to appear on stage to claim victory.

It was close to midnight when he spoke. One of his first comments was to try to calm the crowd down, simply so he could be heard.

Albanese claims victory with his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan by his side.

Albanese claims victory with his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan by his side.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The pace never slowed from that moment. And the timing was dictated by Morrison. The former prime minister had known for weeks that the Quad summit with leaders from the US, Japan and India would be held on May 24. He called the election for May 21 anyway, even though an election on May 14 would have allowed more time for the government to prepare for the summit. Albanese had also known all along of the Quad timing, but not from Morrison.

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This set up the sequence of events that meant Albanese had to be sworn in as prime minister as soon as possible.

Albanese, with Governor-General David Hurley at Government House, had to be sworn in as prime minister as soon as possible.

Albanese, with Governor-General David Hurley at Government House, had to be sworn in as prime minister as soon as possible.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The interim Labor ministry took shape on Monday morning when Albanese and his deputy, Richard Marles, Senate leader and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher were sworn in.

The interim Labor ministry (l-r): Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, deputy PM Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

The interim Labor ministry (l-r): Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, deputy PM Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Within three hours of that ceremony, Albanese was on board an RAAF KC-30 aircraft on his way to the Tokyo summit to meet US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Within three hours of the swearing-in ceremony, Albanese and Wong were on board an RAAF KC-30 aircraft on their way to the Tokyo Quad leaders’ summit.

Within three hours of the swearing-in ceremony, Albanese and Wong were on board an RAAF KC-30 aircraft on their way to the Tokyo Quad leaders’ summit.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

While Albanese had spoken to Biden on the phone on Sunday, he had other calls during the flight. One was a conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in which both leaders talked about support for the AUKUS alliance on nuclear submarines and greater ambition on climate change. Johnson was one of the key figures last year who had wanted Morrison to go further on Australia’s 2030 emissions target. Now he was talking to a new prime minister who was willing to do just that.

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Already, the Albanese policy on climate was smoothing relations with other leaders.

The Quad summit began on Tuesday morning with the “family photo” to bring the four leaders together before the formalities of their public remarks or the sensitivities of their private discussions. Here, at the Kantei offices and residence of the prime minister in the Akasaka district of Tokyo, the welcome for Albanese was all in the body language of his counterparts.

The welcome for Albanese was all in the body language of his counterparts - US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The welcome for Albanese was all in the body language of his counterparts - US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The summit family photo is usually a “grip and grin” with little real warmth. This one was different. As soon as Biden saw Albanese approach, he smiled and reached out his hands in welcome. He put his arm around the new prime minister, and it looked like they shared a joke.

The Quad summit began on Tuesday morning with a “family photo” of the four leaders: (l-r)  Albanese, Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Modi.

The Quad summit began on Tuesday morning with a “family photo” of the four leaders: (l-r) Albanese, Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Modi.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

On three occasions, in fact, Biden went out of his way to joke with Albanese in front of the cameras. Why? He was sending a public signal about the warmth in the relationship. The incendiary claims from Morrison in recent months, to the effect that Albanese and Marles were “Manchurian candidates” aligned with Beijing, were put to rest.

Biden did everything he could to welcome Albanese. The second occasion came in the opening remarks at the formal meeting where Biden joked about the prime minister’s frenzied schedule.

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“You got sworn in, you got on a plane, and if you fall asleep while you’re here, it’s OK. I don’t know how you’re doing it!” he quipped.

The third moment came in the bilateral meeting between Albanese and Biden in the afternoon in another part of the Kantei compound.

Biden put his arm around the new prime minister and it looked like they were sharing a joke.

Biden put his arm around the new prime minister and it looked like they were sharing a joke.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

When Albanese spoke about his travel across the US as a young man and revealed he had met with the National Rifle Association, Biden stood up, pretending to leave their talks in disgust.

Albanese burst out laughing and flung out his arms in pretend shock before Biden reached out to shake his hand. The room erupted in laughter. It was only hours later, when the leaders had left the summit, that the world heard that a man had shot and killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, and wounded 17 others.

Biden pretends to leave his bilateral meeting with Albanese.

Biden pretends to leave his bilateral meeting with Albanese.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Quad was an undoubted success for Albanese. He made sure his opening remarks offered total support for the security partnership while issuing a new message on climate change and the importance of the issue to the island nations of the Pacific. This was endorsed in the formal statement at the end of the meeting.

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Albanese is not always comfortable in the glare of media attention. He will probably never forget the shouting and yelling at him by some journalists during the election campaign. He could be visibly frustrated at times with the throng of cameras, not least when hit in the head by a boom microphone.

The Quad was an undoubted success for Albanese.

The Quad was an undoubted success for Albanese.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

And he had a very private moment as soon as his flying visit was over.

Back in Sydney on Wednesday night, he travelled alone to the cemetery where his mother, Maryanne, is buried. The day of his flight home to Sydney was the 20th anniversary of her death.

“I travelled last night out to the cemetery to see her and have a chat,” he said in an interview on Thursday morning. But it was not a moment for the cameras.

On election night, Albanese thanked his mother Maryanne, saying she was “beaming down on us”. Back in Sydney on Wednesday night, he travelled alone to the cemetery where she is buried to “have a chat”.

On election night, Albanese thanked his mother Maryanne, saying she was “beaming down on us”. Back in Sydney on Wednesday night, he travelled alone to the cemetery where she is buried to “have a chat”. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Six days from his election victory, Albanese was holding another discussion with a world leader. This time it was with French President Emmanuel Macron, the leader who will be remembered in Australian politics for branding Morrison a liar over the decision last year to terminate Australia’s submarine contract with France in favour of the AUKUS alliance with the UK and US.

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“I don’t think, I know,” Macron said when asked if Morrison had lied to him. Albanese used those words during the election campaign and will probably quote them again. His phone call with Macron was followed by statements from both sides about rebuilding the relationship.

It was, no doubt, another moment for Albanese to savour in the first six days after his victory.

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Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/the-six-days-that-changed-everything-for-albanese-his-first-week-as-prime-minister-in-photos-20220527-p5aozh.html