Federal election 2025: Why Prime Minister thinks Labor can win Leichhardt
In almost 30 years of politics, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “hasn’t seen a better candidate the entire time” than his Leichhardt runner – Matt Smith, but that’s not why he thinks he can win the seat.
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In almost 30 years of federal politics, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “hasn’t seen a better candidate in the entire time” than his Leichhardt runner – Matt Smith.
The glowing endorsement came when asked if he thought the country’s northernmost electorate was winnable, given Labor’s wipe out in the north during the state election, and Queensland’s status as a federal LNP stronghold.
The ALP holds just five of Queensland’s 30 federal seats, while it holds 78 of 151 in parliament.
Visiting Cairns on Tuesday, Mr Albanese spoke highly of his Leichhardt candidate, but made a key admission for why he thought the electorate could turn red at this year’s federal election, with the retirement of incumbent MP Warren Entsch.
“Warren Entsch is someone who is from the other side of politics, but I have a lot of respect for,” Mr Albanese said.
“I have a good relationship with Warren; the truth is that Warren has chosen to retire and that opens up a huge gap. Warren was very passionate about advocating for this community.”
The Prime Minister and the LNP Leichhardt MP both began their federal political careers in 1996, with Mr Entsch briefly stepping away during the 2007-2010 term, when the seat was won by Labor’s Jim Turnour.
Asked about voter loyalty, Mr Albanese pointed to history to note Leichhardt constituents were loyal to Mr Entsch, but not necessarily the LNP.
“Warren Entsch has not stood for the seat of Leichhardt once, and the Labor Party, through Jim Turnour won the seat … anytime when Warren Entsch has not been the candidate, Labor has won the seat, and before that (Labor’s) Peter Dodd and (John) Gayler.
“I know Cairns was one of the regional seats that was retained by Labor at the state election, and this is an area that understands the importance of jobs, the importance of manufacturing, the importance of action on climate change.”
But Mr Albanese concluded his admiration for Mr Entsch by stating Mr Smith “would be a show of winning the seat regardless of (Mr) Entsch’s decision to retire”.
“But there’s just no question that the fact that the seat’s vacant, I haven’t seen Peter Dutton anywhere near the seat, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know.”
Replacing Mr Entsch as the LNP’s candidate is 15-year veteran of the Queensland Ambulance Service Jeremy Neal, who reportedly beat out a strong field of candidates for party preselection, including former Cairns Woman of the Year, Alanna McKenna.
At 2022’s federal election, Mr Entsch defeated then-Labor candidate Elida Faith with 53.44 per cent of the final vote, to 46.56 per cent.
The 2025 federal election is yet to be called, however is being tipped for April or early May, with both sides of federal politics calling for four-year terms.
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Originally published as Federal election 2025: Why Prime Minister thinks Labor can win Leichhardt
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