After three years, Albanese has a new slogan. Here’s what ‘progressive patriotism’ means

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is pledging to strengthen Australia with a second-term agenda that eases division, outlining his vision for “progressive patriotism” that can unite the country at a time of global instability.

Albanese dismissed former minister Ed Husic’s complaint that Labor showed “timidity” in his first term and declared his confidence in achieving reform – as well as airing his ambition to increase Labor’s primary vote further to cement “our destiny … to try to be the natural party of government”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears on the Inside Politics podcast.Credit: Nine News

In an exclusive interview for this masthead’s Inside Politics podcast, the prime minister introduced the idea of “progressive patriotism” as a new catchcry for his plans to build on Labor reforms in housing, Medicare and childcare to help grow the economy.

Labor sought to project stability by spending heavily on social programs when US President Donald Trump was antagonising allies and roiling global markets with shock tariffs, driving former Liberal leader Peter Dutton to defeat.

With his new message, Albanese embraces the language of patriotism and signals that he aims to snatch the concept from conservatives and claim the political centre.

“We had progressive patriotism,” Albanese said of the Labor campaign message.

“We spoke about doing things the Australian way, not looking towards any other method or ideology from overseas.

“At a time where there’s conflict in the world, where people are often divided on the basis of race or religion, here in Australia, we can be a microcosm for the world.

“That says that we’re enriched by our diversity, that we have respect for people of different faith, that we try to bring people together, that we don’t bring turmoil overseas and play out that conflict here, either, and that’s really important.

“This is a project, if you like, that’s not just about strengthening Australia, but also being a symbol for the globe in how humanity can move forward.”

Albanese dismissed a suggestion that he was dealt a lucky hand by Trump’s unpopularity with Australian voters weakening support for Dutton. The former Liberal leader, like Canadian conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, saw his position deteriorate rapidly as Trump’s global standing fell.

“I think that some of the commentariat have looked for reasons why their commentary was so out of touch last year,” Albanese said, claiming he always believed Labor would win seats such as Dutton’s electorate of Dickson – even when Labor colleagues questioned him.

“We had a very clear plan. I outlined that to colleagues. I also outlined where it would be successful. It’s no accident.”

Albanese said he made major policy announcements in seats such as Griffith in Queensland, held by the Greens, and Bass in Tasmania and Sturt in South Australia, both held by the Liberals. The government won all three.

Albanese said he was directly involved in recruiting candidates such as Leichhardt’s new MP, Matt Smith. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The prime minister described himself as the “coach of a footy team” when asked about his hands-on role in selecting candidates across the country over the last two campaigns.

He privately urged key candidates to run in must-win seats. He convinced Ali France to run a third time in Dickson, pushed Anne Urquhart to move from the Senate to run in a lower house Tasmanian seat, recruited former Tasmanian leader Bec White, asked Jerome Laxale to quit as mayor to run in Bennelong, and played a key role in recruiting Andrew Charlton in Parramatta and basketballer Matt Smith in Leichhardt.

Labor begins its second term with a record mandate, having won 93 seats to the Coalition’s 42 at the latest count, and it expects to govern at a time of falling interest rates and lower inflation than during its first term.

Albanese denied the scale of the Labor victory would make ministers lazy, saying: “We’re focused. People are hungry to make a difference.” He named the national broadband network, Medicare, housing, employment services and childcare as priority areas to build on the foundations of the last term.

“We are a centre-left government, but we very much are concerned about social justice,” he said.

“We see there is a role for the state in improving people’s lives, but we also very much believe in markets, and that markets are a democratic mechanism as well. I believe in the private sector being the key driver of growth, but the public sector should step in where there is market failure.”

As commentators such as economist Saul Eslake echo Husic’s calls for the government to use its mandate for bold reforms, the prime minister insists his first term did have an ambitious agenda, even with a narrow majority in the House.

He cited as examples the government’s intervention in the gas and coal markets to put a cap on prices, the subsidies introduced as the first step towards universal childcare, and the rejigged stage three tax cuts that gave more money to most Australians.

“People have completely underestimated the extent of the reforms,” he said. “The biggest economic transformation that’s occurring since the industrial revolution is the clean energy revolution that is transforming the way that green metals will be produced, for example. There’s nothing timid about that.”

Albanese nominated the ban on live sheep exports as another example of political courage – a move that triggered complaints in Western Australia and forecasts that Labor would lose seats in that state. The ban will go ahead in May 2028. The prime minister noted that Labor gained two seats in the state.

“We were a government that was ambitious across economic, social, environmental and international politics, and we did it in a way that attempted to bring people with us wherever possible.”

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