The political calculus behind Albanese's Future Made in Australia pivot
The Prime Minister has confirmed his centrepiece policy will be a key theme of the next election, dismissing suggestions it will be a tough political sell on the hustings.
As I’m talking to Anthony Albanese in the sitting room of the Prime Minister’s Office in Parliament House, his government has just had a major victory in the High Court over the indefinite detention of non-citizens. In the same week, the Reserve Bank updated its forecasts to reveal that underlying inflation is now projected to stay higher for longer.
While the conversation with Albanese is focused on his flagship Future Made in Australia Act announced last month, it’s difficult to ignore the more immediate priorities facing his government ahead of Tuesday’s budget.
Is there a risk in talking about a “big picture” policy of reindustrialising the nation to reach net zero, the government’s key international climate pledge, when the cost of living is still the main concern for voters?
“You’ve got to do the immediate measures - and people will see more immediate measures in the budget,” Albanese tells Capital Brief.
