Joel Fitzgibbon quits Labor frontbench, Anthony Albanese’s leadership in spotlight

Labor’s climate fight has spilled over into leadership speculation after senior MP Joel Fitzgibbon resigned from the frontbench. Anthony Albanese’s position on coal and energy is in the spotlight.

Labor’s division over climate change has boiled over with the frontbench resignation of Joel Fitzgibbon, arguing the party cannot win the next election without reconnecting to its blue-collar base, sparking speculation around Anthony Albanese’s leadership.

Some MPs have privately questioned the Opposition leader’s cut through and performance in Queensland, where he was not seen during the recent state election though opportunities were limited by border restrictions.

But others say Mr Albanese had moved the party to the centre on energy policy, by backing coal exports and gas as an interim fuel.

Anthony Albanese bans MPs from mentioning mine

Labor figure quits frontbench, saying party lost its way

Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon announces his resignation from the Opposition frontbench. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

It’s understood there had been heated talks between Mr Albanese and the Mr Fitzgibbon at Monday night’s shadow cabinet meeting.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who has butted heads with the party leadership over its positions on energy and coal, said they could not win an election without winning central and north Queensland seats like Flynn and Herbert, adding that they had been “demonising” coal workers.

He rejected suggestions he was considering a tilt at the leadership, but did not rule it out should he be drafted.

“The Labor Party has been spending too much time in recent years talking about climate change, which is an important issue, and not enough time talking about the needs of our traditional base,” he said.

“If you begin demonising coal workers, coal generation workers, you’re immediately demonising oil and gas workers, power generation workers … and it goes on and on,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Mr Albanese said he agreed that Labor needed to bridge that gap between its regional and city voting bases.

“Whatever work they do should be respected. Whether they’re a coal miner, whether they are someone who’s working in IT, whether they live in Marrickville, or whether they live in Maryborough,” he said.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says people should be respected whatever work they do, from coal mining to IT. Picture: Sean Davey.

Oxley MP Milton Dick said he was a strong supporter of Mr Albanese’s push into Queensland and that he had a good framework to balance resources needs and a renewable energy future.

Senator Murray Watt said Mr Albanese had made it “crystal clear” he supported the state’s resources industry, but also wanted Queenslanders to get thousands of jobs being created in renewable energy.

One Labor MP predicted Mr Fitzgibbon would be even more outspoken from the backbench after “falling on his sword” and being freed from the threat of discipline in Shadow Cabinet.

But they said it was vital that more MPs who supported Mr Fitzgibbon’s views on climate change policy spoke out publicly because Labor had to find a way to address the issue.

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles praised Mr Fitzgibbon’s contribution during a caucus meeting on Tuesday, saying that he had been “good for the Labor party long term”.

Another Labor source said there had been a small group of MPs who had been attempting to destabilise the Opposition Leader’s position, but they lacked broad support.