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| Anthony Albanese will seek Labor leadership | Anthony Albanese will seek Labor leadership |
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| Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will seek the Labor leadership – triggering a month-long process that will see rank-and-file party members vote for their federal leader for the first time in the party’s history. | Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will seek the Labor leadership – triggering a month-long process that will see rank-and-file party members vote for their federal leader for the first time in the party’s history. |
| The first caucus meeting after Labor’s defeat in the Australian election on 7 September has delivered a leadership contest under new caucus rules between Albanese – the New South Wales left-winger and former deputy prime minister – and Bill Shorten, from the Victorian right. | The first caucus meeting after Labor’s defeat in the Australian election on 7 September has delivered a leadership contest under new caucus rules between Albanese – the New South Wales left-winger and former deputy prime minister – and Bill Shorten, from the Victorian right. |
| Confirmation of Albanese’s intentions came on Friday as the Coalition party room also endorsed its leadership team for government. Prime minister elect Tony Abbott and his deputy, Julie Bishop, were reconfirmed in their leadership positions – a traditional formality. | Confirmation of Albanese’s intentions came on Friday as the Coalition party room also endorsed its leadership team for government. Prime minister elect Tony Abbott and his deputy, Julie Bishop, were reconfirmed in their leadership positions – a traditional formality. |
| The Nationals have seen some generational change. Warren Truss will remain party leader and be deputy prime minister. His party deputy will be Barnaby Joyce – after Joyce’s successful transition from the Senate to the lower house seat of New England in the 2013 poll. Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion will take Joyce’s old role as leader of the Nationals in the Senate, and the Senate deputy leader will be Fiona Nash. | The Nationals have seen some generational change. Warren Truss will remain party leader and be deputy prime minister. His party deputy will be Barnaby Joyce – after Joyce’s successful transition from the Senate to the lower house seat of New England in the 2013 poll. Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion will take Joyce’s old role as leader of the Nationals in the Senate, and the Senate deputy leader will be Fiona Nash. |
| In his opening remarks to the Coalition party room, Abbott told his troops they were well prepared to make the transition from opposition to government. But he said the Coalition had to deliver its policy agenda: repealing the carbon price; stopping the boats; building the roads; returning the budget to surplus. | In his opening remarks to the Coalition party room, Abbott told his troops they were well prepared to make the transition from opposition to government. But he said the Coalition had to deliver its policy agenda: repealing the carbon price; stopping the boats; building the roads; returning the budget to surplus. |
| “We will now move purposefully, calmly and methodically to deliver on our election commitments to build a stronger economy for a stronger Australia. We will do these things because that is what the Australian people have elected us to do. That is what the Australian people have a right to expect,” Abbott said. | “We will now move purposefully, calmly and methodically to deliver on our election commitments to build a stronger economy for a stronger Australia. We will do these things because that is what the Australian people have elected us to do. That is what the Australian people have a right to expect,” Abbott said. |
| Abbott emphasised the importance of keeping faith with the voters: “We have won the trust of the Australian people. Our challenge now is to earn it and to keep it.” | Abbott emphasised the importance of keeping faith with the voters: “We have won the trust of the Australian people. Our challenge now is to earn it and to keep it.” |
| The prime minister elect is expected to unveil his new ministry on Monday before the official swearing-in. The outgoing prime minister, Kevin Rudd, executed a handover with Abbott at The Lodge in Canberra on Thursday afternoon. | The prime minister elect is expected to unveil his new ministry on Monday before the official swearing-in. The outgoing prime minister, Kevin Rudd, executed a handover with Abbott at The Lodge in Canberra on Thursday afternoon. |
| Shorten is believed by colleagues to have the numbers in caucus to secure the Labor leadership, but Albanese is likely to have stronger support in the grassroots ballot. Labor’s inner-city branches are dominated by the Labor left. | Shorten is believed by colleagues to have the numbers in caucus to secure the Labor leadership, but Albanese is likely to have stronger support in the grassroots ballot. Labor’s inner-city branches are dominated by the Labor left. |
| Albanese made a point of telling the caucus about his intentions regarding the leadership before announcing them to the media. Shorten, in making his public announcement on Thursday, made a deliberate pitch to the grassroots, declaring he wanted to energise the membership. | Albanese made a point of telling the caucus about his intentions regarding the leadership before announcing them to the media. Shorten, in making his public announcement on Thursday, made a deliberate pitch to the grassroots, declaring he wanted to energise the membership. |
| In a press conference after the caucus meeting, Albanese told reporters he’d made the decision that the best contribution he could make for Labor in this period of transition to opposition was as party leader. He said he believed he was the best candidate. | In a press conference after the caucus meeting, Albanese told reporters he’d made the decision that the best contribution he could make for Labor in this period of transition to opposition was as party leader. He said he believed he was the best candidate. |
| Albanese said his strengths included plain speaking – “what you see is what you get” – his previous experience in opposition and his preparedness to argue Labor’s case. | Albanese said his strengths included plain speaking – “what you see is what you get” – his previous experience in opposition and his preparedness to argue Labor’s case. |
| He said Labor had a mandate from voters to stand up for carbon pricing and for the policy legacies achieved in government from 2007 to 2013, but Albanese argued the party needed to learn some lessons from the mistakes of that period. | He said Labor had a mandate from voters to stand up for carbon pricing and for the policy legacies achieved in government from 2007 to 2013, but Albanese argued the party needed to learn some lessons from the mistakes of that period. |
| He said there had been too much of a focus on tactics, not enough vision, too much focus on getting a grab on the nightly news and not enough focus on policy. | He said there had been too much of a focus on tactics, not enough vision, too much focus on getting a grab on the nightly news and not enough focus on policy. |
| “We have to change, we have to do better, for Labor and for Australia,” he said. | “We have to change, we have to do better, for Labor and for Australia,” he said. |
| Shorten told the caucus meeting that if Labor’s next generation did not step up and rebuild the party, Labor could be in opposition for a decade. He later told reporters: “We have over the next 30 days – new politics. Labor is drawing a line under the rancour over previous years.” | Shorten told the caucus meeting that if Labor’s next generation did not step up and rebuild the party, Labor could be in opposition for a decade. He later told reporters: “We have over the next 30 days – new politics. Labor is drawing a line under the rancour over previous years.” |
| Shorten said Labor needed to be a movement for change. “We want our party to take policy development seriously. The essential task is to unify our party and unify our purpose.” He said he had the energy for the task. He was “a builder and a campaigner”. | Shorten said Labor needed to be a movement for change. “We want our party to take policy development seriously. The essential task is to unify our party and unify our purpose.” He said he had the energy for the task. He was “a builder and a campaigner”. |
| Both candidates insisted the leadership ballot would be civil. “I do not believe there is an appetite to air our debates in public. I believe Labor has learned some lessons from disunity,” Shorten said. | Both candidates insisted the leadership ballot would be civil. “I do not believe there is an appetite to air our debates in public. I believe Labor has learned some lessons from disunity,” Shorten said. |
| Neither Shorten nor Albanese seemed fully clear about all the procedural details surrounding the leadership ballot – and they pointed to a meeting early next week of Labor’s national executive to determine the processes. | Neither Shorten nor Albanese seemed fully clear about all the procedural details surrounding the leadership ballot – and they pointed to a meeting early next week of Labor’s national executive to determine the processes. |
| Rudd – who is under pressure to exit politics after the corrosive leadership dramas of the past two terms in government – addressed Friday’s caucus meeting and accepted responsibility for the result. | Rudd – who is under pressure to exit politics after the corrosive leadership dramas of the past two terms in government – addressed Friday’s caucus meeting and accepted responsibility for the result. |
| Former treasurer Chris Bowen will be acting Labor leader while the ballot is conducted and resolved. He told reporters this was the appropriate contribution for him to make at this time and declined to endorse either Albanese or Shorten ahead of the ballot. | Former treasurer Chris Bowen will be acting Labor leader while the ballot is conducted and resolved. He told reporters this was the appropriate contribution for him to make at this time and declined to endorse either Albanese or Shorten ahead of the ballot. |
| Bowen said that whoever emerged as new Labor leader would have more legitimacy than any previous leader in history, courtesy of grass-roots endorsement. | Bowen said that whoever emerged as new Labor leader would have more legitimacy than any previous leader in history, courtesy of grass-roots endorsement. |
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