Australian PM named among 100 most influential people of 2023

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been listed alongside Lionel Messi, Beyonce ́ , and Doja Cat as one of the most influential people of 2023 Time Magazine’s annual list of artists, innovators, titans, leaders, icons and pioneers is compiled by the publication’s editors and has just been released for this year

In an article written for the magazine by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mr Albanese is described as “a symbol of hope and inspiration”.

His glowing write-up refers to Australia’s upcoming Referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, heaping praise on the PM for “amplifying the voices” of Australia’s Indigenous people

It refers to Mr Albanese’s childhood growing up in public housing, his belief in “ambitious climate action” and his commitment to democracy. Mr Trudeau described how in an "increasingly uncertain” world where politicians sometimes “sow fear and division” Mr Albanese chooses the “path of hope and opportunity ”

In his victory speech when Labor was voted into government in May 2022, Mr Albanese had said he wanted to bring Australians together

Among the other 19 people to be listed under the leaders’ category with the PM are Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelensky, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and US President Joe Biden

King Charles was on the list as an icon, comedian Ali Wong was named under the artist category, Elon Musk as a titan, Natasha Lyon as an innovator, and Bella Hadid as a pioneer. Mr Albanese is the third Australian Prime Minister to make the Time Magazine list