Albanese pitches himself as democracy's defender before Trump meeting
Trust in democracy can be restored by proving government services work, Anthony Albanese will say in his first major speech since his May re-election, drawing an implicit contrast with US President Donald Trump ahead of the pair's expected first meeting later this month.
The prime minister will argue delivering urgent necessities for Australians will restore faith in government, in a clear sign the re-elected Labor government is taking a cautious approach despite its thumping election win.
In his speech, the prime minister is expected to warn that Australia faces an uncertain world where some people believe the 'corrosive proposition that politics and government and democratic institutions, including a free media, are incapable of meeting the demands of this moment'.
'Some simply dismiss such sentiment. Others cynically seek to harvest it. Our responsibility is to disprove it,' Albanese will tell the National Press Club on Tuesday, according to an excerpt of his speech.
'To recognise that some of this frustration is drawn from people's real experience with government – be it failures of service delivery, or falling through the cracks of a particular system,' he will say.
Without naming Trump's extensive cuts to the US government, Albanese will offer a prescription to restore faith in government through competence and programs that benefit everyone, rather than offering hard trade-offs for reform.
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'To counter this [lack of faith in government], we have to offer the practical and positive alternative,' Albanese will say. 'To prove that a good, focused, reforming Labor government can make a real difference to people's lives.'
The speech excerpts suggest a careful second-term agenda squarely focused on rebuilding trust in Labor, coming just days before the prime minister departs for the United States and then on to Canada for a meeting of the G7 major economies.
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Sydney Morning Herald
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The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
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The Age
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