Australia's Labor Party leader, Anthony Albanese, was sworn in as the country's 31st prime minister on Monday, promising to bring the country together after a fractious election campaign as he vowed to tackle climate change and inequality.

Labor returned to power after nine years in opposition as a wave of unprecedented support for the Greens and climate-focused independents, mostly women, helped unseat the conservative coalition in Saturday's general election.

"I look forward to leading a government that makes Australians proud, a government that doesn't seek to divide, that doesn't seek to have wedges but seeks to bring people together," Albanese said during his first media briefing after taking charge as the prime minister.

Although votes are still being counted and the makeup of government has yet to be finalised...