Promise and Performance

This is the first comprehensive review of the Albanese Labor Government. It seeks to provide a critical but balanced assessment of the Albanese Government’s first term. The academic and expert contributors to this edited volume have been asked not just to review what happened but to assess whether the Albanese Government has made its mark on Australian government and if so in what ways. Was it ’reformist’ in the Hawke-Keating style, or was it ’reformist’ in the more traditional Labor mode like some regard the Whitlam Government? Is there a leading reform that has made life better for Australians in a measurable way? Was its successes or failures of its own making or the result of trends outside its immediate control?Contents Promise and Performance: An Introduction - Scott Prasser1 The Albanese Government’s Election Performances - Malcolm Mackerras2 How Albanese and Chalmers have Created a New Narrative of Australian Politics - Greg Melleuish3 Labor’s Federal Election Performance in Queensland - John Mickel4 The Dutton-led Opposition in Labor’s First Term - Peter van Onselen5 The Public Service under Albanese - Paddy Gourley6 Creating a New Standards Regime and a Safer Workplace for Parliament - Maria Maley7 The Albanese Government’s Public Inquiries: Targeting Political Opponents? - Scott Prasser8 The Australian Economy over the Albanese Government’s First Term - Gene Tunny9 Fiscal Policy under the Albanese Government, 2022-2025 - Saul Eslake10 Perverse Productivity Policies: Rhetoric vs Reality - Gary Banks11 The Albanese Government’s Industrial Relations Program - Richard Calver12 Energy and Environment Policy - Aynsley Kellow13 Aviation Policy: A Reluctance to Reform? - Peter Forsyth14 Labor’s Higher Education Agenda: A La-La-Land Wish List- Salvatore Babones15 The Voice Debacle - Gary Johns16 The Drift of Australian Foreign Policy - Michael Easson17 Defence Policy - David Lee18 The Albanese Government Record on Government Services and Digital Transformation - Mike Kelly19 Religious Freedom: Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride - Mark Spencer20 Anyone for Footy? A Policy in Search of a Goal: The Albanese Government’s PNG NRL Initiative - Andrea Wallace21 Lessons for the Future - Scott Prasser