Australia’s new PM Anthony Albanese heads to Tokyo with climate message

(FASTNEWS | AUSTRALIA) – Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese took office Monday, hours before flying to a Tokyo summit with a “message to the world” that his country is ready to engage on climate change.

The 59-year-old Labor Party leader told reporters he wants to “bring people with us on the journey of change” before he took the oath of office in a brief, publicly televised ceremony at Government House in Canberra.

In a hurried post-election schedule, he was flying out a few hours later to join a summit Tuesday with the US, Japanese and Indian leaders, known as the Quad.

Albanese said at the weekend that the Tokyo summit was “an absolute priority” for Australia and an opportunity “to send a message to the world”.

He said partners overseas can expect wholesale changes “particularly with regard to climate change and our engagement with the world on those issues”. The new leader says he wants to transform his country, too.

Shortly before being sworn in, “Albo” said he wanted to lead a government of “optimism and hope, that I think defines the Australian people”.

New members of Albanese’s team taking office included Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who will join the prime minister in Tokyo, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.

Albanese has vowed to adopt more ambitious emissions reduction targets and make the sun-kissed continent-nation a renewable energy superpower.