Accordingly, two days after the election, Albanese, deputy leader Richard Marles, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers, and senators Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher were sworn in as an interim five-person ministry.

According to Australia's ABC News, the governor-general David Hurley would not have sworn in Albanese without assurances that Labor could provide stable government, as well as legal advice that this was the proper course of action.

[61] On 30 August 2024, Albanese confirmed during an interview with ABC Radio Melbourne that the 2026 Australian census would include a question relating to sexuality and gender identity, reversing an earlier statement that his government had abandoned the proposal.

[99] In December 2023, the Albanese government released its ten-year migration strategy which includes increasing minimum English language requirements for international students and tightening visa processes for migrant workers.

[111][112] During a senate inquiry into the proposed legislation, representatives from the Australian university sector voiced similar concerns about the economic impact of the policy, and the consequent effects on long term tertiary education outcomes for both international and domestic students.

During the 2022 election campaign, Labor committed $135 million to fund 50 bulk-billed urgent care clinics, a policy designed to ease pressure on hospital emergency wards.

[126] On 21 September 2023, Albanese announced an independent inquiry into the federal government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, led by former public servant Robyn Kruk, infectious diseases expert Catherine Bennett and economist Angela Jackson.

[136] On 10 November, health minister Mark Butler announced that pregnant women and newborn babies would have access to free respiratory syncytial virus vaccines before winter 2025 under the National Immunisation Program.

[145] In late March 2024, Albanese along with Bowen and industry minister Ed Husic travelled to the former Liddell Power Station in the Hunter Valley to announce a $1 billion solar panel program.

The reform would include the creation of a federal Environment Protection Agency (EPA) which would impose legally binding environmental standards and oversee decision-making processes of the states and territories, as well as increased restrictions to native logging and the establishment of a "traffic light" rating system where some areas could be designated as having a high conservation value.

[188][189] On 10 September 2024, Albanese and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland confirmed that the federal government would introduce legislation to enforce a minimum age for access to social media and other relevant digital platforms.

[192] The Australian Internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, who expressed concern that a social media ban would exclude young people from "meaningful" digital engagement and access to critical support.

[198] Following the 2024 Wakeley church stabbing on 15 April 2024, the federal government ordered Meta Platforms and X (formerly Twitter) to remove offensive content relating to the attack within 24 hours or face fines.

[224] On 7 July 2022, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus exercised his power under section 71 of the Judiciary Act to cease proceedings against Bernard Collaery in connection with the Australia–East Timor spying scandal.

At the meeting, Albanese and Wong confirmed that the new government intended to make additional action on climate change a key part of Australia's foreign policy moving forward.

The two ministers discussed an incident involving the Chinese interception of a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing P-8 Poseidon over the South China Sea and political developments in the Pacific Islands.

[295] In late December 2024, the federal government confirmed it was working to locate 32-year-old Australian man Oscar Jenkins after he appeared in a video on pro-Kremlin social media accounts purportedly showing him being detained and questioned by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

[303] In August 2023, Wong confirmed that Australia would revert to its pre-2014 policy of designating the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip as "Occupied Palestinian Territories" and the Israeli settlements there as "illegal".

[309] In early April 2024, Wong said that the federal government was considering recognising Palestinian statehood as a means of facilitating a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine during a speech at the Australian National University.

In addition, Federal police commissioner Reece Kershaw warned that law enforcement authorities would take action against those displaying Hezbollah or Hamas flags at national pro-Palestinian rallies being held on 6 October to mark the first anniversary of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

[322][323] On 22 April 2023, Albanese, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, and Giles announced the creation of a new direct pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holders, commencing 1 July 2023.

[335] Several diplomatic and economic initiatives were reached at the summit, including a $2 billion 'Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility', a $140 million infrastructure development partnership, and expanded business visa programs.

[336] On 15 December 2024 Albanese, Wong and Burke confirmed that surviving Bali Nine members Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen and Michael Czugaj had been repatriated to Australia after serving over 19 years in prison in Indonesia.

[348] Melanesian Spearhead Group director-general Leonard Louma and Vanuatan Prime Minister Charlot Salwai expressed concern that the PPI could be used by Australian and New Zealand to serve Western interests and lock China out of the region.

According to Agence France-Presse and Reuters, this funding packaged was intended to compete with expanding Chinese influence in the Pacific region particularly the Solomon Islands, which had entered into a security agreement with China in 2022.

Key objectives of the visit including lobbying Congress to pass AUKUS-related legislation, sign new deals on critical minerals and discuss issues with China and the Israel-Hamas War.

[363] On 29 September 2023, Marles announced that the Australian Defence Force would be retiring its fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters following a fatal crash during Exercise Talisman Sabre in July 2024 which killed four military personnel.

[364] In early January 2024, Albanese ordered an inquiry into whether the previous Morrison government had failed to hand over documents relating to Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the National Archives in 2020 for public release.

Marles confirmed that Australia would send officials to brief their New Zealand counterparts about AUKUS Pillar Two, which would focus on advanced military technology including quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

[367][368] On 12 September 2024, Marles stripped nine commanding officers who served in the War in Afghanistan of their distinguished service medals, implementing the final recommendation of the Brereton Report which had found "credible evidence" that Australian soldiers had unlawfully killed 39 people.