Chris Bowen removes ‘we’re ready’ photo of Labor leaders after election loss

Chris Bowen shared a seemingly innocuous picture of Labor’s leadership team. The image has since been mercilessly mocked.

At the time it probably felt like the right thing to do.

Chris Bowen and his Labor colleagues — Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong and Jim Chalmers — posed for the photograph in Mr Shorten’s office ahead of what they expected would be a resounding Labor victory over the weekend.

Mr Bowen shared the picture with the simple caption: “We’re ready.”

But after the Coalition was returned in a landslide victory on the weekend, the picture has become a target for cheap shots.

Liberal MP Alex Hawke piled on last Saturday accusing Mr Bowen over being “foolish” and overly confident.

He shared the image with a caption that included the definition of the word “hubris”.

Chris Bowen, Tanya Plibersek, Bill Shorten, Jim Chalmers and Penny Wong in Mr Shorten’s office.

“Hubris describes a personality quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence, often in combination with arrogance,” he wrote.

Others commented on Mr Bowen’s post.

“All dressed up and nowhere to go,” Beverley Brady wrote.

“Look, I really love them ... but this seriously could be the opening credits for Law & Order,” Linda Leman wrote.

“Ready to warm the opposition benches?” Jay Mil wrote.

Mr Bowen yesterday launched his bid for the Labor leadership. He says he will start with a blank policy slate if he becomes leader.

“I think the party does deserve a contest,” he told reporters outside the house where he grew up in Smithfield in Sydney’s west.

Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen are frontrunners for the Labor leadership. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/Lukas Coch/AAP

“No political party ever takes to the next election exactly the same policies they took to the last. That would be dumb.”

He received a mix of positive and negative comments on his Facebook page on Tuesday, with many linking him with Labor’s loss and calling for “generational change” in the party.

He will run against Anthony Albanese, who has been campaigning for the leadership since confirming he’d make a second tilt on Sunday.

His last attempt in 2013 ended in a loss to Bill Shorten, who resigned from the leadership after Saturday’s election loss.

“We got the votes of one-in-three of every Australian on Saturday. We need to do much better,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Sydney.

Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, also from the left faction, ruled herself out on Monday, saying it was not her time.

The leadership will be decided by a vote of grassroots members and the federal parliamentary caucus, with each group given 50 per cent weight. Caucus will not be told the result of the grassroots vote before MPs make their decision.

— with AAP

Originally published as Chris Bowen removes ‘we’re ready’ photo of Labor leaders after election loss