Next Left: A New Labourism 'Down Under'

The Australian Labor Party (ALP), having been the first national Labour-led government in the world, has only managed to rise up from the opposition benches three times since the 1950s due to one of the most right-leaning political party systems, with the last time being in 2022 under Anthony Albanese’s leadership. With the ALP in government, now tackling structural and institutional issues long ignored by the Coalition governments, but still operating in a political and cultural setting controlled by the centre-right, Albanese’s government is proving to deliver progressivism on both social and economic issues, locally and nationally. From battling declining union density to delivering on the recruitment of gender balanced MPs, Albanese’s new labourism skillfully operates in a once rigid party system that has been experiencing structural changes with the rise of independent candidates...