Straight Talk with Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese has said that his mother raised him in three great faiths: the Catholic Church, the South Sydney Football Club and the Australian Labor Party.

Despite these solid foundations, there was a missing piece to the puzzle of Albanese’s identity. His mother, Maryanne, raised him as a single parent and as the book, Albanese: Telling It Straight by political journalist Karen Middleton details, Albanese did not meet his father until he was almost 50.

In the intervening years, the boy from working-class Sydney had risen to the top of Australian federal politics. His three great faiths – and the struggles of his early life – have left an indelible impression on Albanese as a politician.

In a revealing conversation with Fifth Estate host Sally Warhaft, Anthony Albanese reflects on family, foundations and the political future.

Straight Talk with Anthony Albanese was recorded as part of the Fifth Estate series in October 2016.