Anthony Albanese to address National Press Club on his 100th day as Prime Minister

Anthony Albanese will stick the boot into his predecessor in a major speech designed to mark his 100th day as Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared he has not wasted a single day in power, hitting back at criticism he has been too focused on squaring off old battles.

Mr Albanese will address the National Press Club in what will be his first big victory lap as Prime Minister.

In a speech designed to mark his first 100 days in power, the Prime Minister will list off his achievements before seeking to manage expectations about the upcoming jobs summit.

“I’m hopeful there will be some immediate actions coming out of the Summit that we can work to implement – but Friday isn’t the end of the story,” Mr Albanese will say.

“Of course, none of us imagine that a two-day summit will entirely fix wages and job security – or any of the other urgent economic challenges facing the country.

Mr Albanese’s speech will coincide with his 100th day in power. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“I know that when we wrap up on Friday afternoon there will still be a trillion dollars of debt, Australian families will still be struggling with cost-of-living pressures (and) businesses big and small will still need help with staff and skills.

“But for the first time in a long time, I believe we will be moving to agreement on how to solve these problems – rather than arguing over who is to blame for them.”

Ahead of Friday’s summit, ACTU union boss Sally McManus and Business Council head Jennifer Westacott appeared together in a joint interview on Sunday, where both leaders indicated they are prepared to give ground on wages and multi-employer pay deals.

Agreeing the unions and business were on a “unity ticket” on boosting wages will be a good sign for Mr Albanese as he kicks off the week focused on jobs and skills.

His speech will be forward focused but also address cit. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The Prime Minister will also indirectly address criticism he has received over the response to Scott Morrison’s secret ministries scandal, which last week was paired with the announcement of the royal commission into robo-debt.

It was a scheme that his predecessor helped to create, and led to calls from the Opposition that Mr Albanese was conducting a political “witch hunt”.

But Mr Albanese will dismiss the criticism, arguing he’s been “working to clear away the mess and chaos” of the previous government, pointing to action in climate change and minimum wage increases for low-paid workers.

“We understand governing is bigger than cleaning-up after your predecessors and more than reacting to events,” he will say.

“Governing can’t just be an exercise in getting through – to the end of the day, to the other side of the story, to the next election.”

But he will not waste the opportunity to sink the boot into the former government.

“I know there are those who think that everything has to be about conflict. Australia has lost nearly a decade to that,” Mr Albanese will say.

“We’ve seen the damage this does to the economy, the toll it takes on the country.”

Originally published as Anthony Albanese to address National Press Club on his 100th day as Prime Minister