Newly-elected Labor leader Anthony Albanese appears to be set to win over music-loving Australians, quoting the legendary Billy Bragg during his first speech in the new job.

For decades now, Billy Bragg has been the voice of the working man, speaking out against Thatcherism in England back in the ’80s, and continuing to mix politics and music across the entirety of his career.

Now, Australians have found themselves exposed to Billy Bragg in their own political happenings, with Anthony Albanese quoting the music legend during his first speech as the leader of the Australian Labor party.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Albanese had become the official Opposition Leader after an uncontested leadership ballot. While Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek had originally considered the job, she recently bowed out, noting that “now is not my time”.

Making his first public appearance in the new job (which will be officially confirmed later this week), Albanese delivered a stirring speech highlighting his achievements in his previous role, and what he aims to accomplish in the future.

“On my watch, there was more investment in public transport in six years than occurred in the previous 107 years between federation and the election of the Rudd government,” he began.

“But as Billy Bragg said, not everything that counts can be counted,” Albanese continued, referencing the musician’s song from his 2017 EP, Bridges Not Walls. “And we shouldn’t judge the economy as if it’s seperate from the people that the economy is meant to serve.”

This mention of Billy Bragg should come as no surprise to fans of either he or Albanese, with the politician having held a conversation with the English musician at 2018’s Fairgrounds Festival just last year.

Oddly enough, while Anthony Albanese found himself quoting Billy Bragg, the exact origin of the quote is unclear, with many attributing it to the great Albert Einstein, and others noting it was sociologist William Bruce Cameron that coined the phrase.

Likewise, Albanese’s love of music has been well-documented as well, having served as a Record Store Day ambassador, dishing up an indie-rock mixtape, spinning some Polish Club as ‘DJ Albo’, and even weighing in on Client Liaison’s Splendour In The Grass performance in 2018.

At this stage, there’s no word as to when Billy Bragg is going to lend his support to Albanese’s next election campaign.

Check out ‘Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted’ by Billy Bragg:

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