Labor has the chance to do something big in its second term. What policy reforms should it take on?
- Following a decisive win in the 2025 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will begin a second term heading a majority Labor government.
- The government’s agenda builds on cost-of-living relief, expanded health services, emissions reduction, and housing reform introduced amid ongoing economic and social challenges.
- Key initiatives include a $1 billion boost to youth mental health centres, extending the energy bill rebate to save $150 per household, legislated vehicle emission standards from July 2025, and building 100,000 affordable homes for first-time buyers.
- Labor plans to cut student loan debts by 20% starting in June 2025, which will erase $16 billion in debt and assist about 3 million Australians. The party will also invest $644 million to increase the number of urgent care clinics offering Medicare services by 50, raising the total to 137, and keep the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cap on medicines at $25 per prescription.
- These policies aim to ease cost pressures, improve health access, reduce emissions by 43% by 2030, and address housing affordability, signaling a broad reform agenda over the government’s second term.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Labor has the chance to do something big in its second term. What policy reforms should it take on?
Dan Breckwoldt/ShutterstockLabor’s historic election victory means the Albanese government has a rare opportunity to pursue a big, bold reform agenda. The scale of the victory all but guarantees a third term in office after the next election in 2028, and entrenches Anthony Albanese’s authority as prime minister. The government may opt to play it safe and limit its legislative agenda to the policies it took to the election. But if it was to chanc…
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