Concerns about Anthony Albanese’s leadership in the wake of new opinion poll

Federal Labor is staring down the loss of at least two seats at the next election, prompting concerns about Anthony Albanese’s role as leader.

Labor is staring down the barrel of two seat losses in the Hunter Valley, a new opinion poll reveals.

The alarming figures have reignited concerns over Anthony Albanese’s leadership with a federal election able to be called as early as August.

Trade union CFMEU commissioned the poll, taken in November, which shows Labor is set to lose the heartland electorates of Paterson and Shortland to the Liberal Party.

Shortland MP Pat Conroy faces a 13 per cent decline, leaving Labor’s primary vote in the coalmining seat at 28 per cent, while the Liberal’s primary vote would rise to 45 per cent.

Paterson MP Meryl Swanson would also face an 11 per cent drop in Labor’s primary vote, taking it to 30 per cent compared with the Liberal’s 43 per cent.

Joel Fitzgibbon says labour needs to be put back into the Labor Party. Picture: Peter Lorimer

Outspoken MP Joel Fitzgibbon, who quit the party’s frontbench to focus on his own seat of Hunter, said the party needed to change its language, policy and narrative to win back traditional blue-collar voters in those seats.

“There are millions of people out there relying upon us to win government,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“If we don’t rethink our policy approach, then we’re going to lose another election and let them down again.”

He said Labor still had a chance to win the next election if Mr Albanese changed the party’s policy settings.

“But he is running out of time. The clock is ticking, the election could be this year,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

However, CFMEU national political organiser Elizabeth Doidge told The Australian that Tanya Plibersek would be a better chance to lead Labor to a victory.

She said Mr Albanese couldn’t unite the party or the unions.

“We definitely want a change of leadership. I’m not necessarily saying it needs to be Plibersek, but it definitely needs to be someone other than Anthony Albanese,” she told The Australian.

Unions are questioning Anthony Albanese’s ability to take the Labor Party to victory at the next election. Picture: News Corp – Sunday Telegraph / Gaye Gerard

But Mr Albanese told 3AW he wasn’t taking it “all that seriously” because it said more about the union, than it did about his leadership.

“People will see through that,” he said.

“I took a stance about John Setka and bringing Labor into disrepute.

“I‘ve never heard of the official, frankly, and I’ve never heard of the company that did the alleged poll.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce told Sunrise Mr Albanese could not continue as leader.

“He has to have a point of self-realisation that it is not possible, not tenable,” Mr Joyce said.

“It’s not so much his fault, it’s the seat he is in … (which) would not accept a pro blue-collar message which he has to get out.

“Unless you can win back blue-collar workers, you have lost the election and lost it right now.”

The Nationals are expected to ramp up their campaign in the Hunter Valley as the election gets closer.