Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shared details of the first thing he did when he returned from his first official duty overseas.
Just hours after Mr Albanese was sworn in as PM, he was on a plane to Tokyo for the Quad summit and talks with the leaders of the US, Japan and India.
His return to Australia on Thursday also marked the 20th anniversary of his mother’s death.
“I travelled last night out to the cemetery to see her and have a chat,” Albanese shared with Today.
“It was a big deal, it was a private moment. I went by myself.”
Albanese, whose single mum Maryanne raised him in public housing, said the Labor party’s win at the election was an emotional one and he wanted to lead by example for others in similar upbringings.
“I hope that it gives people out there, whether they be single mums or people going through difficulties in life and their children, I hope that my journey does give people a bit of an uplift,” he said.
“It’s not about me. As I said on Saturday night, no one gets there by themselves. You get there because people believe in you, because people provide you with support.”
Albanese shared his gratitude for his community, which supported him in the thousands after his election win.
“The sense of feeling that was there on Saturday night when we came out of the house and saw my neighbours in Marrickville,” he said.
“It was reasonably late, I’m not sure what time it was – But around 11pm it was like the whole neighbourhood were on the street, just cheering.”
He said his win on the weekend said a lot about Australia and what people can achieve with the right support.
“A change in direction is what I want to bring for this country – not just policy change, but culture change,” he said.
“I want to change the way that politics operates, I want it to be more inclusive. I want it to be more respectful.”
Image credits: Today / Instagram
This article first appeared on OverSixty.