Bill Shorten says he is ‘not offended’ by Anthony Albanese speech

BILL Shorten says a speech on Friday by his one-time leadership rival Anthony Albanese did not cause “any offence at all” and they had an “amicable chat” since.

BILL Shorten says a speech on Friday by his one-time leadership rival Anthony Albanese did not cause “any offence at all” and they had an “amicable chat” since.

The Opposition Leader’s loyalists were said to be “violently angry” over the former deputy prime minister’s speech, in which he was perceived to have repudiated an “anti-business” approach by Labor in campaigning for the five “Super Saturday” by-elections due on July 28.

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They have threatened to retaliate against Mr Albanese, who retains strong grassroots support in the party.

Mr Shorten defeated Mr Albanese in a leadership ballot in 2013; his support in the Labor caucus outweighed Mr Albanese’s greater support among party members.

Bill Shorten at a Labor Party rally in Queensland today. AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

Mr Shorten insisted there was no rift. Reports of the speech had been “overblown”, and his office had received an advance copy of it.

“There was nothing in that speech which caused me any offence at all. I encourage my members of the united Labor team to put forward their views on the fair go. I want a fair go for everyone and I think that’s what was motivating Anthony’s talk as well,” he said.

Under Mr Shorten, the Opposition has led the Coalition in 34 successive Newspolls.

But his leadership could come into question if Labor were to lose one or more of the five impending by-elections.

The government, which is trying to use the final sitting week before a winter break to get company tax cuts passed, seized on a sniff of disunity.

Bill Shorten says a speech by his one-time leadership rival Anthony Albanese did not cause “any offence at all”. Picture: Colin Murty

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “No wonder Anthony Albanese is criticising. He must be just tearing his hair out to see the way Bill Shorten is abandoning literally years of what the Labor Party used to stand for.”

But Opposition frontbencher Jim Chalmers said he believed Labor had been engaging constructively with business under Mr Shorten.

“I spend a very big proportion of my time getting business perspectives, sharing ideas, spending time in the business community,” he said.

“That’s true as well of Bill Shorten, (treasury spokesman) Chris Bowen, right across the board. I had a look at that speech … and I don’t necessarily think that Anthony’s interpretation is different from the broader interpretation from Bill, and from others.”

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