Labor 2025: purpose or puppetry?

May 12, 2025

Labor’s first term in office was risk-averse. As Peter Sainsbury observes, if Anthony Albanese’s primary aim was to stay in office he was very successful. But to what end?

If Labor’s second term will deliver essential major reforms, these should include vital environmental reforms detailed by Sainsbury, and reforms to taxation, gambling advertising, and more. The environmental reforms are critical because without substantial reinforcement of current regulations we shall see accelerating environmental degradation.

Should Labor do nothing on this — and continue to support new oil and gas and not make substantial tightening of our environmental protection laws — by 2028 our environment may be deteriorating to a point of crisis. Delaying major reform for a prospective third term would be high-risk procrastination.

Similarly major taxation reform is overdue to start reducing gross inter-generational financial inequity.

Will Labor stare down the powerful vested interests whose prosperity may be impacted by these essential reforms, or will they act as the government while those vested interests — fossil fuels, gambling, defence, pharmaceuticals, and more — pull the policy strings?

This next term of government will likely be long remembered as one presenting great opportunity: Labor’s legacy will hang on how well it uses it.