New Aussie PM pledges to help beat the squeeze

ANTHONY Albanese was yesterday elected Australia’s first Leftwing Prime Minister in almost a decade and vowed to tackle the costof-living crisis and climate change.

The Labor leader, who previously backed moves to remove the Queen as head of state, told the nation they had ‘voted for change’. However a referendum on becoming a republic was not in the party manifesto.

Albanese, 59, also promised to invest in social services and help more people on to the housing ladder after defeating Scott Morrison, who had been PM since 2018.

In his acceptance speech, Albanese said: ‘The Australian people have voted for change. I am humbled by this victory. And I will

lead a government... as courageous and hard-working and caring as the Australian people are themselves.’

Albanese also referred to his background, being raised by a single mother who grew up in public housing.

‘Every parent wants more for the next generation than they had,’ he said. ‘My mother dreamt of a better life for me.

‘And I hope that my journey in life inspires Australians to reach for the stars.’

Boris Johnson last night congratulated his new counterpart, pointing to the post-Brexit UK-Australia trade deal and saying ‘the only distance between us is geographical’.

Albanese grew up believing that his Italian father had died, but at 14 he learned that was a lie to avoid the scandal of being illegitimate.