Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as Australia’s 31st prime minister just hours ahead of a trip to Tokyo to meet with US President Joe Biden.
With counting from Saturday’s election yet to confirm whether he will govern in majority, Mr Albanese will on Monday attend Government House in Canberra with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, incoming foreign minister Penny Wong, new treasurer Jim Chalmers and new finance minister Katy Gallagher.
The ministers will cover all portfolios until the Labor caucus can meet in the week after next to put in place the full ministry.
Mr Albanese and Senator Wong will head to Tokyo for the Quad meeting with Mr Biden, host leader Fumio Kishida and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
The prime minister-elect issued a statement on Sunday night, saying he would use the meeting to talk about his government’s ambitions to tackle climate change and pursue a stronger foreign policy focus on the region.
So what can Australia expect from the new government?
LABOR PLAN
* Improve aged care, with registered nurses on-site 24 hours a day, more carers, a pay rise for workers and better food for residents
* Reduce childcare costs
* Housing Australia Future Fund and Help to Buy scheme involving an equity contribution from the government for up to 10,000 aspiring homeowners a year on low and middle incomes
* Support a minimum wage rise to keep pace with increasing inflation levels, and to lift productivity and close the gap on wages
* Net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 43 per cent greenhouse gas emissions cut by 2030 while driving investment in renewable energy and creating 604,000 new jobs by 2030
* Implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full and deliver a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament
* Establish a national anti-corruption commission
* Promote women’s economic opportunity and make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act
* Bolster relations with Pacific nations in the wake of the Solomon Islands signing a security pact with China
* A royal commission into Centrelink ‘robodebt’.
Emotional ScoMo and who will replace him?
Official figures from the Australian Electoral Commission have Labor on 75 seats in the House of Representatives – one short of a majority – but the party is projected to hold as many as 77.
The Liberal-National coalition held 52 seats, with Scott Morrison set to stand down from the Liberal Party leadership once a partyroom meeting can be scheduled.
An emotional Mr Morrison told his local Horizon Church on Sunday that a life of faith called on people to “trust and obey”.
He is widely expected to be replaced by outgoing defence minister Peter Dutton, who may face resistance from moderates in the party.
Mr Albanese will return to Australia on Wednesday.
One of the first major events in the next two weeks will be a meeting with state premiers and territory chief ministers when he will set out the new federal government’s stance on more ambitious climate action.
Ten independents are on track for victory and will be joined on the crossbench by sitting Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie from the Centre Alliance and veteran Kennedy MP Bob Katter.
The AEC has listed 13 seats where the two-candidate preferred vote is so far unavailable: Bradfield, Calare, Canberra, Cowper, Grey, Griffith, Hinkler, Macnamara, Maranoa, Melbourne, Richmond, Ryan and Sydney.
Four seats are formally listed as “close”: Sturt, Gilmore, Menzies and Moore.
Incumbent MPs are trailing in 18 seats: Swan, Pearce, Tangney, Hasluck, Curtin (WA); Chisholm, Higgins, Kooyong, Goldstein, Deakin (Victoria); Wentworth, Reid, North Sydney, Robertson, Mackellar, Fowler and Bennelong (NSW), and Boothby (SA).
The final result has been projected as 77 for Labor, 59 for the coalition and 15 on the crossbench.
Outgoing deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said his future as Nationals leader was in the hands of his partyroom colleagues.
