Prime Ministers and the National Press Club

Today, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese MP will address the National Press Club, the first address of the Government in 2024. This will be his third address since being elected.

Ahead of his speech and questions for the National Press Gallery, Nexus APAC researcher Josh Vines has reviewed and analysed the Prime Minister’s previous addresses.

In his January 2022 address at the National Press Club, the then Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, acknowledged that Australia was in its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Omicron variant had reached Australian shores in December 2021, and Novak Djokovic had had his visa cancelled due to his immunisation status. This address is of great importance, as it initiated the run-up to the May 2022 Federal Election.

The address of January 2022 focused on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of all levels of government in protecting Australians and a vision of the coming years as an opportunity to reward Australians for facing the hardships of the pandemic.

As part of his address, the then Leader of the Opposition announced several actions that would be undertaken by a Labor Government if they were to win the upcoming Federal Election. This included taking steps to strengthen Medicare and to provide funding for a student well-being boost.

Mr Albanese also announced that Labor would implement several policies, funds, and commissions, including the Buy Australian Plan, the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia, a Plan for Secure Work, the Cheaper Childcare Plan, a longstanding plan for the National Broadband Network, establishing an Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Disaster Ready Fund. Importantly, he also announced a commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its call for a constitutional voice, treaty, and truth-telling. After the Labor election victory in May 2022, the newly sworn-in Prime Minister, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, also addressed the National Press Club in August 2022.

Following the tradition of Prime Ministers before him, in February 2023, Prime Minister Albanese addressed the Club to mark his first nine months and provide an overview of the year ahead for the Labor Government. Additionally, this was the PM’s fourth National Press Club address in 13 months.

Similar to his address in January 2022, Prime Minister Albanese noted the importance of a government protecting its citizens and announced the release of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR). In doing so, he reaffirmed that Australia would work closely with its neighbours and commit to the AUKUS alliance and nuclear submarine production. Prime Minister Albanese characterised ‘international engagement’ as an essential part of Australia’s national security strategy and announced that Australia would host the Quad Leaders’ Summit later in the year.

To mark the beginning of 2023, the Prime Minister also stressed the importance of climate action and renewable energy in Australia to garner legitimacy on the world stage and ensure energy security for Australians. He noted the stress global energy prices were having on the Australian production sector and emphasised the need for the National Reconstruction Fund legislation to be passed in the lower house in the following month.

The PM also shared his government’s plan for relief from the cost of living, including cheaper childcare, cheaper medicine, fee-free TAFE, and energy price relief for households and the introduction of 100% bulk-billed urgent care clinics.

Almost a year on, the Prime Minister is set to today address the National Press Club and the Parliamentary Press Gallery, again following the tradition of Prime Ministers before him by outlining the Government’s agenda and priorities for the upcoming twelve months. This upcoming twelve-month period is likely to include more international uncertainty, supply chain bottlenecks, and significant international elections, such as that of the United Kingdom and the United States, and several closer to our borders.

Following significant commentary around the announcement of cabinet and caucus meetings over the last week, it is likely that the Prime Minister’s address and questions for the press gallery will cover his Government’s decision on the implementation of stage three tax cuts, the cost-of-living crisis, natural disaster support, energy prices and supply and the impact that government decisions will have on the nation’s budget and the economy.

Prime Minister Albanese National Press Club Address transcripts are mentioned in this article.

Australia’s Best Days Are Ahead (anthonyalbanese.com.au) 25/01/2022.

Building for a better future – National Press Club (anthonyalbanese.com.au) 29/08/2022.

Address to the National Press Club (anthonyalbanese.com.au) 22/02/2023.