Exclusive: Anthony Albanese on a republic, deals with the Greens, and China

No movement on a republic, deals with Greens are off limits, and continuity in how Australia manages the rise of China: Anthony Albanese is playing it safe in his campaign to become PM.

Anthony Albanese is about as relaxed as a man can be who will soon face an election that will decide if his long career ends with him grabbing the nation’s highest political office.

That morning, Scott Morrison had visited a hair salon and the Labor leader is amused.

“Today he was shampooing someone’s hair,” Albanese chuckles, “that’s at a time when the aged care system’s in crisis, at a time where there are major challenges, he’s just out there looking for a photo op.”

Anthony Albanese says a Labor government will offer reform, not revolution. Picture: Tim Hunter

Albanese’s year has got off to a stellar start, with the Omicron variant spoiling Scott Morrison’s summer.

For the next three months the Opposition Leader’s job will be to convince voters he is competent and trustworthy, and he outlines how he plans to do this in a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Telegraph.

If Albanese wins, he is clear there will be no movement on a republic in his first term, there will be no deal with Greens, and there will be continuity in foreign policy as the country deals with the rise of China.

“We’re offering what I’m saying is ‘safe change’,” he says.

“We’re not promising revolution, we’re promising reform, and looking after people on the way through.”

Political Editor James Campbell on the streets of Marrickville with Anthony Albanese this week. Picture: Tim Hunter

Next to his Marrickville electorate office desk Albanese has framed and hung nine signed certificates marking his election victories, stretching back 25 years.

How can someone who has been inside so long hope to keep in touch with ordinary Australians?

“By engaging in the community locally: I do my own shopping, I play tennis at the local courts here that are council owned,” he says.

“I go to the footy, I go sit on the hill at Henson Park when Newtown Jets play in the lower division … with many of the people I grew up with.”

He also believes the longevity of his team, most of whom served in the Rudd and Gillard governments, ought to work in his favour.

“We will be the most experienced incoming Labor government in history and I get better at this job every day,” he said.

“You learn in this job, experience counts, experience is not just about knowledge of facts and figures, it’s about real-world experience.”

This new slimmed-down, nice and easy Albo — he’s lost 18kg — is at pains to avoid criticising Scott Morrison where he can avoid it.

The deterioration of Australia’s relationship with China is because: “China has changed for
the worse.

“I don’t blame the government for it,” he says

“I wrote to Morrison at one stage suggesting, constructively as I do, that John Howard and Kevin Rudd could play a role in response to concerns in the business community.”

Wherever he can Albanese stresses the continuities he will ensure if Labor wins.

Will Australians be moving to a republic in Labor’s first term? “No.”

Instead, he says, “the first priority has to be Indigenous recognition in the constitution, and to me … it’s not conceivable that you could have a vote on a republic before you recognise First Nations people.”

The prospect of another Labor-Greens minority government shouldn’t scare either.

Will he take office with Adam Bandt’s support? “No – no deals.”

Albanese says his team would be most the experienced incoming Labor government in history. Picture: Tim Hunter

He is less clear however about what would happen if the Coalition couldn’t form a majority, but Labor could, with Greens support.

“It’s all a nonsense – that whole debate is predicated upon the Greens being more important than they are,” he says.

“There’s one member, they have one seat, they have as many seats as Bob Katter, or Rebekha Sharkie or Helen Haines and Zali Steggall, all of whom I expect to be there.”

One area where he is flirting with making a difference is on immigration.

Though Labor hasn’t yet decided what, if anything, its target will be, he says “no, we don’t necessarily” when asked about the government’s aim to resume mass migration as soon as possible.

“We have an opportunity to have a reset that enables us to ensure that we learn the lessons from the pandemic,” he said.

“One of the lessons is we need more resilience, more skills and more people trained here to fulfil jobs. We’re too vulnerable and too dependent on the use of temporary migration.

“We’re certainly not anti-migration, but it needs to be appropriate.”

So why should Australians should vote Labor?

“Because you will have a better future, whereby people don’t get left behind and don’t get held back.”