Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister of Australia.
He's been in the job since May 2022. But if you're looking for the short answer, there it is. He leads the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and currently sits as the 31st person to hold the office.
Honestly, the Australian political cycle moves pretty fast. It’s easy to lose track. One minute there's a spill, the next there's an election, and suddenly the face on the news has changed. Right now, in early 2026, Albanese—or "Albo" as basically everyone calls him—is still firmly in the Lodge.
He didn't just stumble into the role. Albanese grew up in public housing in Sydney, raised by a single mother on a disability pension. That "log cabin" style origin story is something he mentions a lot. It’s central to his political identity.
Who is Prime Minister in Australia right now?
As of January 2026, Anthony Albanese remains the Prime Minister.
He secured a second term in the 2025 federal election. That was a big deal. Before him, Australia went through a period where Prime Ministers were swapped out like seasonal wardrobes. Seeing someone actually win a second term felt, well, a bit different for the Australian public.
His second victory in May 2025 was pretty decisive. He went up against Peter Dutton, the leader of the Liberal Party. While the polls were tight for a while, Labor managed to hold on and even expand their footprint in some areas.
Why the 2025 election mattered
You’ve gotta understand that the 2025 win changed the vibe in Canberra. It broke the "revolving door" era of leadership. By winning again, Albanese proved that his incremental, "no surprises" style of government actually had legs.
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Most people expected a hung parliament. They didn't get one. Labor secured 94 seats in the House of Representatives, which is a massive chunk of the 151 available.
The man behind the title: Anthony Albanese
So, who is he?
He’s a career politician, but not in the way that feels "suit and tie" 24/7. He’s a massive fan of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He likes DJing (yes, really). He has a dog named Toto.
But behind the "everyman" persona is a guy who has been in Parliament since 1996. He knows how the building works. He served as Deputy Prime Minister back in 2013 under Kevin Rudd, though that was a very short-lived gig before the government changed.
Key people in his 2026 team
No PM works alone. If you're looking at who is prime minister in australia, you also have to look at the "inner circle" that keeps the wheels turning:
- Richard Marles: The Deputy Prime Minister. He’s the steady hand often seen handling defense matters.
- Jim Chalmers: The Treasurer. He’s the one explaining why your groceries still cost a fortune and managing the budget.
- Penny Wong: The Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate. She is arguably one of the most powerful people in the country.
What is the PM doing in 2026?
The honeymoon from the 2025 election win is definitely over. 2026 has started with some heavy lifting.
The biggest thing on his desk right now? A legislative response to a horrific terrorist attack that happened at Bondi Beach in December 2025. It’s been a somber start to the year. Albanese has had to recall Parliament early this January to push through new laws regarding national security, gun control, and hate speech.
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It’s a test of his leadership. It's one thing to talk about "optimism" during an election campaign; it’s another thing to manage a country through grief.
The Ambassador Rudd Situation
There's also some diplomatic shuffling happening. Albanese just announced that Kevin Rudd—yep, the former PM—will be finishing up his stint as the Australian Ambassador to the United States in March 2026.
This is a strategic move. With a shifting political landscape in the U.S., Albanese is clearly looking to refresh how Australia handles its "closest security ally."
Who is the Opposition?
If you don't like who is prime minister in australia, you look to the other side of the aisle.
The Liberal Party is currently led by Sussan Ley. She took over after Peter Dutton lost his own seat in the 2025 election "bloodbath." Ley is the first woman to lead the federal Liberal Party, and she's got a tough job ahead of her.
The Coalition (the partnership between the Liberals and the Nationals) actually fractured a bit after the last election loss. The Nationals decided not to renew their formal coalition agreement for a while, though they still vote together on most things.
Common misconceptions about the Australian PM
A lot of people get confused about how the PM is actually chosen.
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In Australia, we don't vote for the Prime Minister directly. You vote for a local candidate in your electorate. The party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives gets to form government, and their leader becomes the Prime Minister.
If the Labor Party decided tomorrow that they didn't like "Albo" anymore, they could vote him out in a caucus meeting. We’d have a new PM by lunch. We've seen it happen before (many, many times).
Is he the Head of State?
Nope. That’s King Charles III.
Because Australia is a constitutional monarchy, the King is the head of state, represented by the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn. The Prime Minister is the "Head of Government."
Why you should care who holds the job
The Prime Minister sets the tone.
Whether it's the cost of living, how the country handles climate change, or our relationship with China and the US, the PM’s office is where the buck stops. Albanese has pivoted Australia toward a more "steady as she goes" approach compared to the more combative style of his predecessors.
But as 2026 progresses, the pressure is mounting. People want more than just "steady." They want lower rent, cheaper power, and a sense of security.
Actionable insights: Staying updated on Aussie politics
If you want to keep tabs on what the PM is up to without getting bogged down in jargon, here is what you should do:
- Check the Transcripts: The official PM.gov.au website posts every single interview and press conference. If you want to know what he actually said versus what the headlines say, go there.
- Follow Question Time: When Parliament is sitting, "Question Time" happens at 2:00 PM. It’s basically political theater, but it's where you see the PM get grilled by the opposition.
- Look at the Senate: While the PM sits in the House of Representatives, the real fight often happens in the Senate. Watch how Penny Wong manages the "crossbench" (the independents and minor parties) to see if the PM's laws will actually pass.
Australian politics is currently in a phase of "restoration." After years of leadership spills, Anthony Albanese is trying to prove that a Prime Minister can serve a full term and then some. Whether he stays in the top job until the 2028 election depends entirely on how he handles the cost-of-living crisis and the national security challenges currently hitting the headlines in 2026.