‘Focus on Australian people’: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lays down law to his new team

A clearly emotional Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed his team of Labor MPs for the first time, warning them to focus “out” on the Australian people and not on themselves, following a series of bruising factional meetings yesterday.

A clearly emotional Anthony Albanese has addressed his team of Labor MPs for the first time, warning them to focus “out” on the Australian people and not on themselves, following a series of bruising factional meetings yesterday.

The re-elected Prime Minister pumped his fists in the air ahead of speaking to his caucus - the name given to a meeting of all Labor MPs - which he said is now made up of at least 57 per cent women.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledges the applause at the Labor caucus meeting in Parliament House this morning. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“But I also see people of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different experiences, different faiths. I see a diverse group of people that are truly representative of our nation, and that’s what our parliament should be, because we seek to represent the entire nation,” the PM said in Canberra on Friday morning following his party’s thumping election win.

His phone rang twice during his address, momentarily interrupting him and causing him to quip the first time that “no one should leave their phone on in the caucus”.

Following yesterday’s rough factional meetings - where the Labor Right dumped two of its own from ministry positions in Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic - Mr Albanese warned of the dangers of the party focusing too much on internal matters.

“I repeated the message a number of times in this room of the importance of unity, of not getting ahead of ourselves, of being focused not on ourselves, because I’ve seen that happen too. We know where that ends,” he said.

Mr Albanese shakes hands with Tanya Plibersek at the caucus meeting. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“(We need to) focus out on the Australian people, on the people who voted for us. That’s got to be our focus each and every day.”

“My final ask of you is over the next three years, we remain laser like focused on them,” he said of their voters.

Mr Albanese and the caucus then clapped and cheered as newly-elected MPs were sworn in to parliament.

The meeting will head behind closed doors where portfolios will be dished out, following yesterday’s factional meetings where each sector decided which of their members would be nominated for a ministerial position.

Originally published as ‘Focus on Australian people’: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lays down law to his new team