Labor headed into wilderness under Anthony Albanese
INFLUENTIAL Australian Workers’ Union NSW boss and Labor national executive member Russ Collison said yesterday Labor would be stuck in Opposition for “many years” if Anthony Albanese became leader after tomorrow’s federal election.
In a sign of how the NSW Right of the Labor Party is set to enter a war after the poll, Mr Collison, a member of the party’s powerful national executive, said for Mr Albanese to be made leader over Bill Shorten or Chris Bowen would mean a Left takeover of the party, which would not be representing “decent working class people”.
Mr Collison said people would have to be on “another planet” not to know “Albo” is desperate for the job.
Mr Collison’s warning came as Mr Shorten refused to say if he trusted powerbroker Senator Sam Dastyari after The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday Mr Dastyari had openly canvassed the prospect of supporting Mr Albanese into the leadership should Mr Shorten not get a good enough result tomorrow.
“Well if (Albanese becomes leader), I would suggest Labor’s not going to get into office for many, many years,” Mr Collison said.
“I get very worried that if there’s a takeover by the Left in NSW and nationally, Labor is doomed to the reserve benches for many years.
“I just don’t see that as in any way beneficial for decent working class people in this country.
“You’d have to be not on this planet to think that Albo doesn’t want a tilt, and he’ll be looking for the earliest time to do it.”
Mr Shorten yesterday refused to say whether he trusted Mr Dastyari after the leadership revelations broke.
He said it was “silly” to ask how many seats he needed to win to ward off a challenge from Mr Albanese, and if he still trusted Mr Dastyari, who has spent the entire campaign travelling on the “Bill bus”.
“I’m in this election to win it. What Labor is doing is putting forward a positive policy agenda,” the Opposition Leader said.
He tried to switch the focus of Labor leadership questions to potential leadership challenges to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
When pressed on if he trusted Mr Dastyari, Mr Shorten said he wouldn’t swap a single member of his team.
