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Anthony Albanese, Australia’s new Prime Minister, will deliver a climate message to Tokyo

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3 years ago

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Anthony Albanese, Australia’s new Prime Minister, will deliver a climate message to Tokyo

Anthony Albanese, Australia’s new prime minister, took office on Monday, hours before flying to Tokyo to deliver a “message to the world” that his country is ready to engage on climate change.

Before taking the oath of office in a brief, publicly televised ceremony at Government House in Canberra, the 59-year-old Labor Party leader told reporters that he wants to “bring people along on the journey of change.”

In a rushed post-election schedule, he was leaving a few hours later to attend the Quad summit, which brings together the leaders of the United States, Japan, and India.

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The Tokyo summit is “an absolute priority” for Australia, according to Albanese, and an opportunity “to send a message to the world.”

He warned international partners to expect major changes, “particularly in terms of climate change and our engagement with the world on those issues.”

‘Hope and optimism’

Albanese has often reflected on his path to the nation’s highest office, beginning with his upbringing in Sydney public housing by his struggling single mother.

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The new leader has stated that he, too, wishes to transform his country.

“Albo” said shortly before being sworn in that he wanted to lead a government based on “optimism and hope, which I believe defines the Australian people.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who will join the prime minister in Tokyo, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher were among the new members of Albanese’s team to take office.

Albanese has pledged to adopt more aggressive emissions reduction targets in order to transform the sun-drenched continent-nation into a renewable energy superpower.

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Coal and natural gas

Images of smouldering eucalypt forests, suffocating cities, and bleached-out coral reefs have made Australia a poster child for climate-related devastation in recent years.

Under conservative leadership, the country has become synonymous with playing the spoiler at international climate talks, despite already being one of the world’s largest gas and coal exporters.

This track record allowed a slew of climate-conscious independent candidates to wrest once-safe conservative urban seats, assisting Labor in gaining power.

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It’s still unclear whether Albanese’s Labor Party will win enough parliamentary seats to form an outright majority, or if he’ll need to rely on independents or smaller parties.

Albanese said he would return to Australia the next day after the summit and bilateral meetings with Quad leaders on Tuesday.

He said, “Then we’ll get down to business.”

Foreign leaders from Australia’s Pacific Island neighbours, whose very existence is threatened by rising sea levels, have been vocal in their support for Albanese’s election.

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“Of all your promises to support the Pacific, none is more welcome than your plan to prioritise the environment — our people’s shared future depends on it,” Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said.

Albanese was also congratulated by US Vice President Joe Biden.

The White House said in a statement that “President Biden expressed deep appreciation for… (Albanese’s) early commitment to the alliance, as evidenced by his decision to travel almost immediately to Tokyo to attend the Quad Summit.”

Earthquake in politics

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Others will be watching to see if Albanese’s presidency results in a less hawkish tone toward China, and if ministerial meetings with Beijing resume after a two-year hiatus.

Official results showed Labor winning 75 seats, putting it close to the 76 seats needed for a majority in the 151-seat lower house. Another few races are still too close to call.

However, it is clear that the election resulted in a political earthquake in Australia.

For many Australians, the election was a referendum on former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has polarised the country.

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Voters overwhelmingly rejected his Liberal-National coalition, removing top ministers from parliament and effectively expelling the party from major cities.

The defeat has already sparked a battle for the party’s soul among Morrison’s conservative allies.

Informally, a leadership contest is underway, with moderates blaming the loss on a rightward shift.

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Tollywood

HT Rewind 2024: Teja Sajja says HanuMan kicking off the year in style is the moment he’d been ‘waiting for’ | Exclusive

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18 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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HT Rewind 2024: Teja Sajja says HanuMan kicking off the year in style is the moment he’d been ‘waiting for’ | Exclusive

In conversation with Hindustan Times, Teja Sajja decodes the success of HanuMan and other Telugu films, talks about his upcoming projects, and more.
When Prasanth Varma’s superhero film HanuMan, starring Teja Sajja, was announced to be released alongside big films like Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Venkatesh’s Saindhav and Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga in January this year, no one expected the underdog to emerge on top. And yet, the film, made on a budget of under ₹50 crore, managed to collect over ₹300 crore at the box office worldwide in 25 days, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films for the year. (Also Read: Ranveer Singh met HanuMan actor Teja Sajja, complimented him even after his Prasanth Varma film Rakshas got shelved)

Ask Teja about the moment he realised his film had not just fought against the tide but also risen to the top; he tells Hindustan Times in an exclusive conversation, “Since I returned to acting (as a lead actor after being a child artiste since 1998), this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. When everything from the HanuMan teaser to the songs was grabbing attention, we knew we had hit a gold mine. But I don’t think we imagined it would cross the ₹300 crore threshold. We were so satisfied with the opening numbers; everything else was a bonus.”

‘Success has given me fear of disappointing people’

Teja acted in Zombie Reddy, Ishq and Adbhutham before HanuMan, but they are what you would call ‘critical successes’, adding to his repertoire as an actor who can perform. But things have changed for him now, says Teja, who is being picky about the roles he says yes to. “Success either makes you overconfident or gives you the fear of disappointing people; I have the latter,” he explains.

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Teja admits he wants to chart out his career in Hrithik Roshan’s footsteps, but not in the way you think. “I have such a fondness for Hrithik due to Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish. No matter how well he performed after that, these left a lasting impression on me; I’m sure 90s kids will agree,” he says, adding, “Similarly, I’ve realised that I have an audience in children now. I want to be conscious of that when I pick roles. I want to make films families can enjoy together.”

But despite people in places like Mumbai or Delhi recognising him, Teja says he’s clear that he wants to cater to the Telugu audience first. “I am conscious that I am making films for my playground – the Telugu states. This is the sensibility I have grown up with, and I don’t know if I can cater to everyone else. Will I promote my films in other languages? Sure. But I also can’t be part of films that aren’t authentic to what I know or understand,” he explains.

‘Rootedness has put us on the world map’

And authenticity seems to be the need of the hour. Be it Baahubali and RRR or the recently released Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD and Devara: Part 1, certain kind of stories seem to be finding success. “Rootedness and going local is proving to be such a boon for us, be it in Devara or Pushpa or HanuMan. Kalki 2898 AD was our version of a Hollywood film (the sci-fi concept) with actors from across languages in predominant roles; it put us on the world map,” reflects Teja.

However, the actor admits Tollywood went through a phase of Bollywood-inspired rom-coms and family dramas that worked in their favour for a while. “That wasn’t easy to replicate either, but it’s just that these local stories are what the audience seems most interested in now. It can’t just be chalked up to religion, too. It’s about the morals these films are hinged on, the fighting for righteousness, and how an underdog can find their strength. Introducing Mahabharata or Ramayana to a new audience in a cool way is just a perk,” he says.

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And it’s this rootedness that Teja says his next films, Mirai and Jai Hanuman (the sequel to HanuMan), will also have ample of. “Mirai is also a superhero film that caters to kids, but it’s not an origin story like HanuMan. It has a pan-Asian and Buddhist touch because the story is based on King Ashoka’s ideologies. I hope that I will get to deliver something new to the audience again. I will only feel like I’ve arrived if Mirai is equally, if not more, successful,” says Teja.

Rishab Shetty will headline Jai Hanuman, but Teja also looks forward to shooting that. “I can’t wait to be on that set; it’ll be exciting. Now that we know India is ready to watch our films, I want to step it up. I want to shift gears and shoot for at least two films in 2025,” he says. As for what he will do next, Teja says he wants to up the ante. “When I got a SIIMA award for Zombie Reddy as a debutant, I remember telling Prasanth this would be the last award I get. But now that I won a Radio City Cine Award for Best Actor, I hope more awards will follow,” he signs off cheekily.

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