By Andrew Klein   19^th November 2025

Upon its election in 2022, the Albanese government promised a new chapter of integrity, social responsibility, and climate action for Australia. However, a closer examination of its record reveals a government whose actions frequently contradict its commitments, prioritising geopolitical theatrics and entrenched interests over the genuine welfare of the Australian people. This article critically assesses the gap between promise and reality, questioning in whose interests the government truly acts.

The Promise-Performance Chasm: A Broken Compact

The government’s own record, assessed by independent trackers, provides a clear starting point. According to RMIT’s Election Promise Tracker, the Albanese government has delivered on a number of its commitments, particularly in establishing a National Anti-Corruption Commission and delivering a royal commission into the Robodebt scandal. However, this must be weighed against its significant failures and reversals.

The promise of increasing real wages above pre-election levels has been broken. In a significant reversal, the government also broke its pledge to implement the former government’s Stage Three tax cuts in full, instead restructuring them—a move defended as being for the “outcome” over the original pledge. Perhaps one of the most stark failures is in environmental stewardship, where the promise to deliver 450 gigalitres of environmental water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan resulted in the delivery of only 27.5GL, a near-total breakdown of a key environmental commitment.

The Geopolitical Stage: Embracing AUKUS and an Anti-China Posture

The government has enthusiastically embraced the AUKUS security pact, initiated under the previous Morrison government. This commitment locks Australia into a long-term, extraordinarily expensive military partnership with the US and UK. Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed the submarine deal is “full steam ahead,” cementing this alignment. Furthermore, the government has signed a critical minerals deal with the US, explicitly designed to “counter China’s dominance”. This demonstrates a foreign policy that closely follows the American lead, potentially at the expense of Australia’s independent economic and diplomatic interests, moving the nation further into a confrontational stance.

The Contradiction in Moral Leadership: The “Antisemitism Envoy” and the Gaza Crisis

In a move that has drawn significant criticism, the government appointed a special envoy to combat antisemitism in July 2024. While combating religious hatred is a worthy goal, the timing and context of this appointment, during an ongoing conflict in Gaza, have raised serious questions. The action creates a perception of embracing a specific political narrative that equates criticism of the Israeli state with antisemitism. This risks stifling legitimate political discourse and moral criticism, while failing to address with equal vigour the rise of Islamophobia or the humanitarian catastrophe itself. It is a theatrical display of moral concern that is selective and politically safe, rather than being a courageous stand for universal human rights.

Climate Policy: A National Security Threat in the Making

The government’s climate policies have been criticised as inadequate by an unlikely source: Australia’s own security community. A report by the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, comprising former high-ranking defence officials, framed climate change as “the greatest security threat facing Australia” and accused the government of jeopardising national security through its “haphazard” approach. Another report from the Climate Council went further, stating that the government’s “financial support of the fossil fuel industry is actively undermining Australia’s national security”. This powerful indictment from within the national security establishment reveals a government that is ignoring direct, expert warnings about a fundamental threat to the nation’s future.

Questionable Investments and the Shadow of the Arms Industry

An investigation by The Guardian revealed that Australia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, has invested millions of dollars in foreign weapons manufacturers. This includes companies that have sold combat aircraft and missiles to the Myanmar military, which is accused of crimes against humanity and genocide. This means Australian public money has been funnelled, however indirectly, to a military junta engaged in atrocities. While this spans multiple governments, it highlights a systemic failure to align national investments with professed ethical values. Furthermore, social media claims that the Australian government has funnelled $2.5 billion to Israeli arms manufacturers, while needing further verification from authoritative sources, speak to a widespread public perception that Australian financial and military support is entangled with conflict abroad.

Conclusion: A Government Losing Its Way

The evidence paints a picture of a government that, despite some achievements, is often operating in contradiction to its own promises and the long-term interests of the Australian people. From following a US-led geopolitical script with AUKUS and anti-China positioning, to a climate policy deemed a national security risk by experts, and a moral stance on international conflicts that appears one-sided and theatrical, the Albanese government seems compromised.

When this is combined with its broken promises on wages and the environment, and the troubling questions around its financial links to the global arms trade, a critical question emerges, as you have asked, Andrew: What is the point of such a government? The performance of good governance is not the same as its substance. Until this government realigns its actions with the genuine needs of its people and the principles of peaceful, sustainable development, it risks being remembered for its theatrics rather than its integrity.