Albanese and Labor won the federal election. Now they must be held accountable.

Australia has been left reeling after the disastrous result of last week’s election, in which Anthony Albanese and his Labor Party managed to hold office in a landslide. 

I honestly question the mindset and thought process of the Australian public. It’s more than clear how Labor has utterly destroyed the immigration, security, and economy of our country since 2022.

Estimates are that we will be in for another six—potentially even nine—years under Labor, due to the absolute smashing of the Coalition. Over this tumultuous time, we will see the true colours of Albo and his Cabinet. Will they live up to the promises they made during the election? One can only hope so.

Image Credit: The Guardian

Labor's Downfall

The past three years have been nothing short of chaotic. 

Our inflation rate surged to 7.8% in December 2022, which is the worst it’s been since 1990. Interest rates have risen thirteen times—twelve of which were under Labor’s watch. Internationally, the value for the Australian Dollar (AUD) has dropped dramatically, reaching its lowest point in early October 2022, where it was worth 0.61 US Dollars.

Australia is in a cost-of-living crisis, with prices for general groceries soaring up by 10% and making life difficult for everyday Aussies. Families across the country are struggling to stay afloat in these troubling times, with many people being forced to take up a second job and rely on government subsidies. While we’re not on that verge yet, my family is certainly feeling the financial pinch too. 

Numbeo, an online database dedicated to recording economic and quality of life statistics, ranked Australia in 5th place in its Quality of Life Index at the beginning of 2022. In early-2024, that rating had fallen to 22nd place—an immense decline that’s never been seen before. This ranking has been further confirmed by wellbeing surveys conducted by Deakin University and Australian Unity in 2024. 

And this is just the economic aspect!

Additionally, Australia is also facing a housing crisis. While this has been going on for quite some time, with inflation, cost of living, and interest rates all on the rise, matters have done nothing but worsened. And for some reason, Albo has decided that now is the perfect time to let in over a million migrants, while his own people struggle to buy a home. Ain’t that a brilliant idea! 

And still, that’s not all. From questionable policies to rising crime, the past three years under Labor have been a catastrophe.

Image Credit: Sky News Australia

Promises Made, Promises Kept

So, what to do now that we could be faced with another three—possibly six, or even nine—years under this gormless government? The first thing would be to pray. Pray for voters to have sense knocked back into them so that (hopefully!) by the next election we’ll get a more suitable leadership in power.

The only option would be for this next term of government to be so bad, voters literally have no choice but to vote for the other party. And when I say bad, I mean, really bad. Unless matters are so dire that the people have no choice but to blame this government, the Coalition has little to no chance of taking back Parliament House by the next election. They simply don’t have the numbers for it, due to how much they lost in last week’s landslide. The thought of matters—whether economic, social, or domestic—getting any worse than what they are is a harrowing thought.

The other thing is to keep the government accountable. This is a vitally important part of politics. In the words of US President Donald Trump, promises made, promises kept. Albanese made countless promises during his election campaign, and now that he’s won, Australians expect him to honour his word. Specifically:

• Cheaper power prices

• Fee-free TAFE

• 5% home deposits for first home buyers

• Free access to mental health support

• Increased government spending in defence

• Increased visa cost for international students

• More bulk billing

• 100,000 homes to be built exclusively for first home buyers

• Payments of no more than $25 per prescription for PBS drugs

• Reduced rate for Medicare for low-income earners

• Reduction of student HECS loan debts by 20%

• Tax cuts for "every Australian"

• Tax deduction on work-related expenses

• Terminating Port of Darwin lease with a Chinese-owned corporation

• 24/7 free "1800 MEDICARE" telehealth hotline

Sources: Australian Labor Party, ABC Australia, Sydney Morning Herald, The Conversation.

If there’s anything Albo is consistent about, it’s dreaming big. And this is only the tip of the billion-dollar iceberg of promises made during this election campaign. Other policies include responding to the US tariffs, upgrading infrastructure basically everywhere it isn’t needed, too little too late security funding, miniscule workers pay rises, decreasing overseas immigration by only 5,000 people, and inclusivity initiatives for gender-fluid unicorns. All in all, the chances of Labor actually living up to their important pledges is just about as likely as me going to a Taylor Swift concert — zero.

And so it’s up to us, the people, to keep this government accountable. It’s up to us, the people, to make sure Albanese and his dense group of ministers live up to what they promised us. The future of Australia is at stake and we simply cannot afford another triennial of economic and cost-of-living treachery. Can we trust Labor, this time, to deliver what they’ve so extravagantly promised?

We’ll know by 2028.