In 2019, Labor elevated Anthony Albanese to the leadership without a contest, and three years later voters made him prime minister at the 2022 election. With that mandate came clear accountability for how public money is used at a time when many Australians say their top concerns are cost of living, health, education and safety at home.
The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum was one of the government’s signature projects but was decisively defeated nationwide in October 2023, with every state voting No. Public spending on the referendum process and official campaigns ran into the hundreds of millions of dollars when administration, education efforts and government‑funded messaging are included, prompting debate about whether such a large outlay on a failed proposal was prudent given visible pressure on hospitals, schools and housing.
At the same time, Australia continues to commit around 4.96 billion dollars in official development assistance in the 2024–25 budget, largely focused on the Indo‑Pacific region. Successive governments have defended aid as a tool for regional stability and influence, yet this spending now sits alongside domestic waiting lists in public hospitals, stretched school resources and long queues for mental‑health and social housing support, raising questions for voters about the balance between external commitments and internal systems.
Concern about crime and social cohesion has also been rising, fuelled by media coverage of youth offending and occasional high‑profile incidents. Researchers point to a mix of drivers, including disadvantage, family breakdown, substance abuse and disengagement from education, and emphasise that offending is not confined to any single migrant or ethnic community even when particular cases dominate headlines.
Taken together, these threads leave Albanese leading a country that is less focused on party‑room manoeuvres and more on how each major decision—whether a constitutional campaign, foreign aid allocation or law‑and‑order response—intersects with everyday pressures. His pathway from uncontested leader to elected prime minister means that, for many Australians, debates about the cost of failed campaigns, money sent overseas and responses to crime are ultimately tests of how closely the government’s priorities match the realities in their suburbs and regions.
Sources (linked) 2019 Labor leadership change and uncontested ballot –
2019 Labor leadership election (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Australian_Labor_Party_leadership_election
ABC News – “Anthony Albanese to become Labor’s new leader unopposed following shock federal election loss”: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-27/anthony-albanese-the-new-labor-leader-following-election-loss/11152036
BBC / other coverage of uncontested leadership: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-48362272
Party leadership changes quick guide: https://www.aph.gov.au/…/PartyChang
Albanese biography and 2022 federal election –
Anthony Albanese (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Albanese
2022 Australian federal election (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Australian_federal_election
Voter issue priorities, social and economic pressures –
Roy Morgan – “Top 10 Issues Shaping the 2025 Federal Election”: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9797-most-important-issues-facing-australia-january-2025
Salvation Army Social Justice Stocktake 2025: https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/socialjusticestocktake/
Social Issues in Australia summary: https://socialjusticeaustralia.com.au/social-issues-in-australia/
Voice referendum description, timing and results –
2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum
Results of the 2023 Voice referendum (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum
AEC official national results: https://results.aec.gov.au/29581/Website/ReferendumNationalResults-29581.htm
Analytical papers on Voice campaign and defeat (example ANU analysis): https://polis.cass.anu.edu.au/…/detailed-analysis-2023-voice
Foreign aid and ODA –
DevelopmentAid summary of 2024–25 aid: https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/179463/australia-aid-budget-for-2024-2025
DFAT “Australian ODA, Development Budget Summary 2024–25” (PDF): https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/oda-development-budget-summary-2024-25.pdf
Crime, youth offending and cohesion –
ABC Religion & Ethics – “Youth crime in Australia: Understanding its drivers, and what can be done to prevent it”: https://www.abc.net.au/religion/abraham-kuol-problem-african-youth-crime-in-australia/103782902
IPA commentary on youth crime and criminal age debates: https://ipa.org.au/read/raising-the-criminal-age-only-sweeps-youth-crime-under-the-carpet