Parliament is back, now it’s time for Anthony Albanese to deliver on those election promises

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began the first sitting week of Labor’s second term with a brisk morning walk to parliament to promise a “year of delivery” and urge colleagues to serve the nation with humility, determination and discipline.

“We are energised going into the new parliament,” Mr Albanese said.

“It will be a different parliament. We have 51 more members than the Opposition with 94 compared with 43, but we are determined to implement what is a positive agenda. Part of that is standing up for Australia’s national interests, progressive patriotism.”

As he addressed the expanded Labor Party caucus on Monday ahead of the formal opening of the new term of Australia’s 48th parliament, Mr Albanese promised to deliver on election commitments that would “make a real, practical difference to people’s lives”.

Labor had already progressed its second term agenda with a “down payment” on July 1 when a raft of policies took effect, including a minimum wage increase, two weeks more paid parental leave, incentive payments for apprentices, teaching and nursing students and a half percentage increase in superannuation payments to 12 per cent.

“People don’t expect perfection. They understand that the world will throw things at us, but they expect that we will put them first, rather than be focused internally on what goes on in this building,” he told parliamentary colleagues.

Labor would start the next tranche of its agenda this week by introducing the first pieces of legislation to reduce student debt by 20 per cent, tighten safety regulations around the childcare sector and protect penalty rates and overtime pay for award wage workers.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will face one of her first major tests on Wednesday in a closely watched sparring match with the Prime Minister as Question Time resumes.

Ms Ley’s main task on Monday was to rally the depleted ranks of the Coalition after a bruising Newspoll survey showed that core support had fallen to its lowest point in 40 years, and its primary vote dipped further since its election trouncing, from 31.8 per to just 29 per cent.

But the Opposition Leader was chipper on Monday, telling the Government it would still have a fight on its hands in the upcoming term.

“Our job is to represent the millions of Australians who voted for us, but also the millions who maybe didn’t, but still expect us to be the strongest, best opposition that we can be, and we will be,” she said at the start of the Coalition caucus.

Ms Ley has already set a less confrontational tone than the Coalition of the last parliament, often criticised by Labor as the “Noalition” for its entrenched opposition to Government policies.

Coalition insiders have pointed to a more targeted strategy of choosing the right battles and the avoidance of blanket blocking of proposals that would be beneficial to the country.

The Coalition would support “constructive policies that are in the national interest,” Ms Ley said, confirming the Opposition would back this week’s childcare legislation.

“But if (the Government) don’t do that, if they bring forward legislation that is not in the national interest and it is not in the interests of Australians, then we will fight them every step of the way,” she warned, taking aim at Labor’s economic policies after an accidental leak of a Treasury briefing last week pushed for a tax hike.

Ms Ley said the leak signalled the “budget is struggling,” arguing that Australians expected the government to “minimise their tax bill” and “run a responsible budget.”

“Small businesses are struggling. Families are wondering how they’re going to pay their electricity bill. Mortgages are still incredibly expensive on the household budget … on behalf of struggling Australians, we are here for them,” she said.

“I haven’t met a single Australian who wants to pay more tax, who thinks they’re paying too much tax, not enough tax, and what I do know is that every single Australian expects this government to minimise their tax bill.”

Before the nation’s leaders resume three years of legislative combat, they must undertake important traditions and conventions.

On the eve of first official sitting day, the Prime Minister delivered a poignant tribute at the Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial to those who had sacrificed their lives protecting the nation’s democracy.

“We gather here on the eve of the new parliament for the same reason Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial face each other across our capital,” he said. “It is because the spirit of democracy that our national Parliament embodies is built upon the spirit that permeates these very walls.

“A spirit that, even in the face of the fiercest challenge, never relinquishes what it means to be Australian.

“Here we feel the weight of history, yet our hearts are lifted by all that Australians have stood against – and the difference they have made in the world.”

Parliament’s first official sitting day on Tuesday will be a day of pomp and ceremony, kicking off at 9am with a Welcome to Country ceremony in the Great Hall, followed by a traditional smoking ceremony on the forecourt.

Governor-General Sam Mostyn will play a central role, receiving the Royal Salute and inspecting the Guard, then addressing both Houses, followed by a 19-gun salute, when observers have been warned “there will be loud noises.”

Parliamentary business begins at 5pm with maiden speeches of the new intake. Ali France, the new member for Queensland’s Dickson, and who ousted former Opposition leader Peter Dutton, will be among the first to make the daunting rite of passage.

The Government has already confirmed its first legislative move would be to cut student loan debts like HECS and HELP by 20 per cent. A bill to achieve this election pledge is ready to be tabled.

Joining the bill at the top of the agenda will be new legislation to cut subsidies for childcare centres with egregious and continued breaches of quality standards and block below standard providers from opening new centres.

The urgency of the new law has been spurred by shocking revelations that an alleged paedophile was able to work in 23 childcare centres, raising deep concerns about the vetting system.

“No parent should be concerned when their little one is left with a worker in a childcare centre. We clearly need to do better as a society and as governments across the board,” Mr Albanese said.

He said the important legislation on bipartisan basis would “restore confidence in a system” the public should be confident is “caring for our vulnerable little ones”.