By Callen Sorensen Karklis
In mid-2025, Australia’s Labor Party secured its most resounding federal election victory in history, capturing up to 92 seats in the House of Representatives. The Greens, while retaining 12 seats in federal parliament, saw a slight decline, holding three seats in the lower house (down one) and nine in the Senate (down two). This dominant centre-left bloc, led by Labor, now faces a rare opportunity to reshape Australia’s future in a way not seen in decades.
Since Federation in 1901, Labor’s social-democratic leaders have left enduring legacies, for better or worse, through bold reforms that defined their eras. Below is a snapshot of their key achievements:
• Chris Watson (1904): Pioneered the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904, establishing a framework for fair industrial dispute resolution.
• Andrew Fisher (1908–1909, 1910–1913, 1914–1915): Introduced workers’ compensation, maternity allowances, and founded the Commonwealth Bank to serve the public interest.
• John Curtin (1941–1945): Implemented widows’ pensions, a national health scheme, uniform income tax, unemployment and pharmaceutical benefits, and laid the groundwork for post-war reconstruction.
• Ben Chifley (1945–1949): Launched the transformative Snowy Mountains Scheme, expanded post-war immigration, and nationalised Qantas and Trans-Australia Airlines.
• Gough Whitlam (1972–1975): Revolutionised Australia with Medibank (universal healthcare), free tertiary education, a national employment and training scheme, no-fault divorce, welfare for the homeless, the end of the White Australia policy, and the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
• Bob Hawke (1983–1991): Strengthened healthcare with Medicare, floated the Australian dollar, protected Tasmania’s environment and Antarctica, and passed the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
• Paul Keating (1991–1996): Secured Native Title legislation and introduced compulsory superannuation, ensuring long-term financial security for Australians.
• Kevin Rudd (2007–2010, 2013): Delivered the historic Apology to the Stolen Generations, enacted the Fair Work Act 2009, initiated the National Broadband Network (NBN), and drafted the Gonski education reforms.
• Julia Gillard (2010–2013): Implemented the Gonski reforms, established the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and introduced a carbon price to address climate change. Mineral Resource Rent Tax.
Labor’s history is a mix of bold triumphs and notable missteps, with each leader leaving a complex legacy. In the early days, Chris Watson (1904) supported the White Australia policy, aligning with protectionist parties under Barton and Deakin. Andrew Fisher (1908–1915) backed the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign during World War I. Billy Hughes (1915–1916) triggered a party split over conscription in 1916. James Scullin (1929–1932) faced criticism for austerity measures during the Great Depression’s Premiers’ Plan. John Curtin (1941–1945) signed the ANZUS treaty, a necessary move with lasting impacts on Australia’s foreign policy. Gough Whitlam (1972–1975) faltered on East Timor, allowing Indonesia’s invasion. Bob Hawke and Paul Keating (1983–1996) faced backlash for the Prices and Incomes Accord and privatisation of public assets. Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard (2007–2013) were plagued by factional infighting, weakening their governments. Historically, Labor’s stints in power have often been followed by long Coalition dominance, with conservative governments ruling for a decade or more.
Yet, Labor’s historic 2025 election landslide, securing up to 92 seats, offers a rare chance for transformative change. The Albanese government, first elected in May 2022, must seize this moment to build on its predecessors’ legacies while avoiding their pitfalls. However, history suggests the Coalition will soon regroup, as electoral tides always shift.
Since 2022, Labor, with support from Independents and the Greens, has delivered significant reforms, despite critics’ spin. Key achievements include:
• National Anti-Corruption Commission: A landmark step toward transparent governance.
• Safeguard Mechanism Amendments: Strengthening emissions trading to combat climate change.
• Free TAFE: Providing 300,000 training places to boost skills and employment.
• Housing Australia Future Fund: Investing in affordable housing to address the crisis.
• Toondah Harbour Protection: Saving Ramsar wetlands from overdevelopment.
With this mandate, the Albanese government has the opportunity to define Australia’s future. The challenge is not just to enact bold policies but to sustain momentum against an inevitable conservative resurgence. Labor’s legacy in 2025 will depend on its ability to unite, innovate, and deliver for all Australians.
Labor’s 2025 Challenges: Balancing Progress with Public Discontent
Despite its achievements, the Albanese government, first elected in May 2022, has faced significant criticism. Since late 2024, Labor approved the expansion of three gas and coal sites, drawing ire from environmentalists. The government has been slow to address soaring rents, mortgages, and cost-of-living pressures, exacerbated by high interest rates amid global crises like the Ukraine war and a resurgent U.S.-China trade war under President Trump. The 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum, intended to enshrine Indigenous recognition, failed, disappointing First Australians and their allies. Labor’s public feud with the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) over alleged misconduct has strained union ties. Additionally, the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal remains unpopular with some Australians, who question its cost and implications.
No government escapes criticism, as public sentiment ebbs and flows. Yet, Labor’s 2025 landslide victory, securing up to 92 seats, offers a chance to rebuild trust. The government has pledged to tackle price gouging by supermarket giants, strengthen Medicare through expanded bulk billing, reduce HECS debts, invest in childcare, and establish an independent environmental protection agency. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also proposed a Makarrata Commission to advance truth-telling and treaty processes for First Australians, signaling renewed commitment post-Voice.
Labor’s handling of the Palestinian issue has sparked controversy, particularly after demoting Ed Husic MP from the frontbench in 2024, following tensions over Senator Fatima Payman’s resignation from the party. While Labor retains Dr. Anne Aly MP, a frontbencher with Middle Eastern ties, the government must improve its optics to regain progressive support.
The Greens remain both allies and critics, pushing Labor to adopt bolder policies, often against corporate interests. While their idealism can strain relations – evident in recent breakdowns – Labor’s first term saw productive collaboration with the Greens and Independents, delivering reforms like the National Anti-Corruption Commission and emissions trading. As Labor navigates its 2025 mandate, it must balance these alliances, manage public discontent, and deliver on its promises to cement a transformative legacy.
Labor and Greens in 2025: United for Progress or Divided by Egos?
The Albanese government’s 2025 landslide, securing up to 92 House seats, is tempered by a critical reality: Labor and the Greens must collaborate in the Senate, where the Greens’ 11 senators hold the balance of power. With Larissa Waters stepping back for family reasons, the Greens are likely to choose either Senator Mehreen Faruqi or Senator Sarah Hanson-Young as their new leader. Yet, the public feuding between Labor and Greens – marked by bitter rhetoric – threatens their shared progressive goals. Both parties risk squandering their historic mandate if they cannot unite.
History offers a lesson. From 1980 to 2001, Don Chipp’s Australian Democrats held the Senate balance of power, enabling key reforms under the Hawke-Keating governments, such as protecting Tasmania’s Franklin River and Antarctica’s environment. Their support ensured Labor’s progressive agenda was both bold and pragmatic. Today, Labor and the Greens face a similar crossroads. In 2009, Kevin Rudd’s emissions trading scheme collapsed partly due to Greens’ opposition, a misstep that branded Labor as timid and the Greens as obstructionist. To avoid repeating this, both must strategise long-term. Labor needs to lead boldly on climate change and tax reform to create a fairer Australia, while the Greens must balance idealism with pragmatism to avoid alienating allies.
As a former organiser and candidate for both the Australian Labor Party and Queensland Greens, I’ve seen the strengths and flaws of both movements. Passionate advocates for social justice and environmental causes drive each, but tribalism and egos often cloud their vision. Like any party, both have members who cling to irrational dogma, risking division. Yet, the numbers don’t lie: Labor, the Greens, and Climate 200-backed Independents – who bolster transparency and climate action in the House – are here to stay. For Australia’s sake, they must work together, learning from past mistakes to seize this once-in-a-generation chance for transformative change.
Seizing 2025: Labor and Greens Must Unite to Defeat Factionalism and Conservatism
The Australian Greens, polling 11.8% of the Senate primary vote in 2025, remain a formidable force despite their Lower House losses. Unlike the Australian Democrats, who faded after compromising on the GST with the Howard government in 2000, the Greens have stayed true to their progressive base. They are poised to capitalise on any Labor missteps that alienate voters, especially if Climate 200-backed Independents or the Liberal-National Party (LNP) draw support. Labor, with its historic 92-seat majority, must avoid complacency. Power can vanish quickly if progressive voters feel betrayed.
Factionalism, a persistent challenge for Labor, threatens this once-in-a-generation mandate. While factions can drive cohesive policy when aligned, history – from the splits under Hughes to Rudd-Gillard infighting – shows they can fracture Labor’s vision when unchecked. The Greens, too, face emerging internal divisions that could undermine their influence. In 2025, one-third of voters backed Labor, the LNP, or third-party candidates, signaling a fragmented electorate. Labor and the Greens must heed this lesson: division courts defeat.
To secure lasting change, both parties must set aside rivalries. Labor needs to tame its factional power plays, with ministers vying for influence, and lead boldly on climate, tax reform, and social equity. The Greens must temper idealism with pragmatism to support, not obstruct, shared goals. With the Coalition regrouping for 2028 or 2031, time is short. This is Labor’s moment to unite with the Greens and Independents, learn from past failures, and legislate a transformative legacy before conservative momentum rebuilds.
Callen Sorensen Karklis was the 2024 QLD State candidate for Oodgeroo. He holds a Bachelor of Government and International Relations from Griffith University and Business Diploma from QLD TAFE. He currently studies a Cert 4 in Youth Work. He has worked in retail, media advertising, union and government roles. He has also been involved with Bayside Crime Stoppers in 2015 – 2016 and was on the Griffith Student Representative Council as the Indigenous Officer during the Pandemic in 2021. He also has been a cohost on 4ZZZ radio programs on Workers Power and Indigi Briz. He was also a coordinator for Jos Mitchell’s Leading Change Team during the 2024 Redland City Council elections. He used to be a local organiser in the Labor Party during the Newman and early Palaszczuk eras and had advised TEAL campaigns.
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Won’t and can’t happen while Labor is close to the LNP and considers progressives their worst enemy.
I doubt we will have to wait very long to find out which direction Labor will go, the progressive, bold path, or continue with its safe, conservative path. If it chooses the latter, I believe they will get wiped out at the next election.
Agree with Denis Hay,and the early signs are not good.Albanese has already passed on his chance to stomp on the antiquated factional bullshit, when they should be going full tilt at desperately needed change, re climate etc.
I don’t think they’ll get wiped out at the next election, but there’s every chance they’ll be in minority.
It’ll be good bye duopoly.
Meanwhile over in the smoking ruins of Liberal land, the battle of the mouths has resulted in Ley winning by a fat lip.It’s a lose/lose all round, the lamb has been sacrificed,despite the arrant nonsense about the fools having seen the light.Farce in neon lights.