Albanese demands unity to build on famous election win
Jacob Shteyman |
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants his party to show cohesion after Labor’s thumping election win, while his rivals risk tearing themselves apart to find a new leader.
Speaking to the largest Labor caucus ever elected on Friday, Mr Albanese acknowledged his place in history alongside the 21 people who have led the Australian Labor Party since its inception in 1901.
His election win one week ago is Labor’s biggest on a two-party preferred basis since John Curtin during the Second World War.
The lower house haul of 91 seats, which could go as high as 95 as counting continues, is the largest in the party’s history.
But Mr Albanese already had an eye on growing his party’s numbers at the next election.
“If the Labor Party is focused, if the Labor Party is united, if the Labor Party is always thinking not about the people in the room but the people outside of the room … there is no reason at all why, not only can everyone return here after the next election in 2028, but that more people can’t be elected with Labor next to their name as well,” he said.
Partly driving Labor’s success in the election was a backlash against the coalition’s proposal to gut the public service, which Mr Albanese described as “frankly juvenile, anti-Canberra rhetoric”.
But Labor’s internal cohesion has been tested by its success.
Senior cabinet ministers Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic have been cut from the 30-person ministry by factional bosses, with Victorian MPs Sam Rae and Daniel Mulino and Senator Jess Walsh elevated instead.
“Politics is a tough game, and they (Mr Dreyfus and Mr Husic) would be feeling very, very hurt right now,” frontbencher Mark Butler told Sky News.
Mr Albanese will decide assign portfolios next week.
Unity is in short supply in the Liberal Party.
The Liberals’ moderate and conservative wings have fallen in behind deputy leader Sussan Ley and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor, respectively, as the duo vie for the party leadership vacated by Peter Dutton.
The party room meets on Tuesday to settle the issue.
Meanwhile, the Greens will vote for a new party leader on Thursday after Adam Bandt was booted from his lower house seat of Melbourne.
Deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi and manager of business in the Senate Sarah Hanson-Young are early frontrunners, but fellow senators Larissa Waters, David Shoebridge and Jordon Steele-John have also been touted.
Interim leader Nick McKim has ruled himself out of the race.
He defended the Greens’ stance on Gaza, saying it was important to call out genocide, amid criticism that it alienated voters.
AAP
