Anthony Albanese’s self-nominated ‘biggest weakness’ disputed by critics

Coalition critics say the Opposition leader’s belief that ‘loyalty’ is his ‘biggest weakness’ don’t hold water given his flip-flopping during Labor’s last term in government.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese has come under fire for claiming that his greatest weakness was his loyalty after revelations surfaced that he shifted his support from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard and back again during Labor’s last term in government.

Asked on breakfast TV Monday to reveal his “biggest weakness”, Mr Albanese said, “I think a weakness I found is loyalty.”

“I’m very loyal to people and that sometimes can make me a bit predictable, and that sometimes can hurt me politically, but I make no apologies for that.”

However critics claimed that Mr Albanese’s track record tells a different story.

Current Labor leader Anthony Albanese toured the Southbank Collective Markets in Brisbane with former Labor MP Kevin Rudd. Picture: Liam Kidston

A 2016 biography of Mr Albanese entitled “Telling it Straight” by Canberra journalist Karen Middleton revealed that the man who would become opposition leader switched his allegiances between Labor’s rival leaders more than once, leaving Ms Gillard to comment that “some did not realise how close to (Mr Rudd) Anthony was and feel like they were betrayed.”

“It got to the point where it was really not possible for him to be completely transparent and truthful with me, as well as playing the role for Kevin that Kevin wanted them to play.”

A newspaper article from 2012 also reported that Mr Albanese’s shift back to the Rudd camp as considered influential in Ms Gillard’s eventual ousting.

Then Prime Minister Julia Gillard with Anthony Albanese during Question Time in the House of Representatives, 2013. Picture: Gary Ramage

“His decision to change camps has the potential to sway votes in caucus as members are phoned by both Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd ahead of Monday’s meeting,” the report stated.

Liberal critics seized on Mr Albanese’s claims.

“Anthony Albanese’s track record with his colleagues should raise alarm bells for Australians. It’s incredible that Anthony Albanese would boast about his loyalty given his track record in the Rudd/Gillard years,” said finance minister Simon Birmingham.

“In former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s own words, Anthony Albanese’s role in the former failed Labor Government was ‘in that slightly murky area of human behaviour’.”

“If Julia Gillard couldn’t trust Anthony Albanese, how can Australians?”