Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has surprised members of the party by building opposition to new contender Anthony Albanese, according to a new report.
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Citing anonymous sources within the party, The Sydney Morning Herald states Shorten is ringing up key powerbrokers within the party to ensure someone takes a tilt against Albanese, who looks like an early favourite to become the next leader.
That’s strange for a couple of reasons. After Labor’s crushing defeat at Saturday’s election, some party members reportedly expected Shorten to stay above the fray and just let the remaining members sort a new leader out.
Secondly, Albanese appears to have garnered quite a bit of support from the party’s left-leaning bloc. That comes in addition to a select few from the party’s right faction, who allegedly favour Albanese over Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen.
Sky News’ David Speers yesterday tweeted that Shorten may have actually prompted Bowen to take a stab at the vacant position.
I’m also told Bill Shorten was amongst those who urged Chris Bowen to run against Anthony Albanese. https://t.co/0EGNYu4c0X
— David Speers (@David_Speers) May 21, 2019
As the dust settles on the election, it’s becoming clear that many voters who turned away from Labor were frightened by Bowen’s proposed economic reforms. Whether those fears were warranted or not, it seems concerns about falling into that same pattern may influence the scramble to become Labor’s next leader.
This is all very different to the backroom agitations of Tony Abbott after he was knifed by his own party. Still, it does suggest a bit of a scuffle at a party which has, for six years, prided itself on unity compared to its main parliamentary rivals.
