Albanese urges elected party MPs to have 'laser-like' focus on working for Australians

Canberra, May 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) of his Labor Party to maintain a focus on working for all Australians after winning re-election.

Albanese on Friday convened the Labor caucus, comprising all of the party's elected members of both houses of parliament, in Canberra for the first time since winning a second term in power at last Saturday's federal election in a landslide result.

Addressing the caucus, Albanese welcomed the party's new elected parliamentarians to Canberra and asked members of both houses to retain a "laser-like focus" on working for the Australians who voted for them and those who did not.

"We want to see them lifted up, and given opportunity," Albanese said. "We seek power in order to deliver for the people who need Labor to be in government."

Albanese said on Friday that parliament will return at the end of July at which time he said his first priority would be introducing legislation for Labor's election pledge to cut higher education student debts by 20 percent.

The PM will on Monday announce the cabinet of his second term before a swearing-in ceremony with Governor-General Sam Mostyn on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

It was revealed on Thursday that Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic, both members of Albanese's cabinet during his first term as prime minister, will not be part of the new cabinet

--IANS

int/as