‘We need to change’: Top Labor man’s plea to party

Shadow treasurer and Queensland MP Jim Chalmers has given a frank assessment of what Labor needs to change after its election wipeout — and what it doesn’t.

LABOR has a structural problem and needs to change to win back the outer suburbs and “quiet Australians” that were scared off by its overreaching agenda at the last election, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says.

But he will push back against a growing movement within the party to run too far away from issues such as climate change and anti-discrimination.

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Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers says Labor needs to win back outer suburban voters.

Ahead of the party’s campaign review coming down next week, Mr Chalmers last night urged the party against using former leader Bill Shorten as a scapegoat for its electoral wipeout.

“We simply couldn’t build a big enough constituency for our agenda,” the Queensland MP told a book launch in Melbourne.

“Our problems go beyond one leader or one election. There is a structural problem with our primary vote, so our party does have to change.

“Bill Shorten shouldn’t carry the can on his own for our collective failures at the last election.”

It follows Labor right rising star Clare O’Neil calling for the party to push back against political correctness and dismissing those with opposing views.

Mr Chalmers said he was not convinced the party was over-focused on issues such as anti-discrimination, or that climate change was only cared about by inner-city “luvvies”.

“We can be true to that while emphasising economic growth and our traditional role as the party of aspiration and economic opportunity,” he said.

He said the party needed to “think, speak and act as the party of the outer suburbs” to win back voters.

Opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers (right) says former leader Bill Shorten (left) should not be made a scapegoat for the election loss.

“The suburbs determine whether Labor prevails or fails,” Mr Chalmers said.

“This is not to diminish the cities, obviously they’re important, or the regions, again absolutely crucial.

“But there is an ethical, economic and political imperative for Labor to be strong in the suburbs.”

He said while Prime Minister Scott Morrison “celebrates the silence of the quiet Australians”, Labor needed to give them a voice.

“Shaping the centre means a primary focus on wages, jobs and the outer suburbs … but I believe that’s possible without ignoring the progressive politics of the environment and social justice,” he said.