Federal election 2022: Inside Australia’s weirdest party

There were unusual scenes in Perth today where an army of red-clad Aussies gathered with giddy excitement for the Labor Party’s official campaign launch.

On a nippy morning as the sun slowly rose in Perth, vehicles filled with senior Labor figures, door-knockers and reporters rolled beneath the imposing shadow of Optus Stadium for the party’s official campaign launch.

An army of Labor die-hard volunteers in red T-shirts cheerily greeted them — presumably smiling behind their Covid masks — and directed them to a conference room overlooking the pitch.

On the scoreboard, an inflated image of Anthony Albanese’s head loomed over the empty stadium like one of those creepy old paintings where the eyes follow you around the room.

After camera crews were informed their equipment would be subjected to bomb sweeps, the media scrum — gathered like naughty schoolchildren in the conference room — were given a graphic warning about what would happen if they misbehaved.

Optus Stadium in Perth where the party’s official campaign launch was held. Picture: News.com.au

A Labor staffer told them he was threatened with having his “balls ripped off” last time there was a launch and the media kept doing live TV reports during the leader’s speech.

“When our leader is speaking, please listen and please don’t start doing that,” he said.

As news.com.au tucked into a muffin, a bomb detection dog sniffed our laptop and Kristina Keneally told us about her breakfast, it was clear that this was going to be one of Australia’s most unusual parties this weekend.

The conference room overlooked the pitch. Picture: News.com.au

Next we were directed to where the magic would be happening — as loud prog rock music complete with a noodling guitar solo blared out over the PA system and hundreds of Labor volunteers filled a large conference room within the stadium.

The excitement among the red-clad audience stepped up markedly when Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head began pumping out.

To the sound of the pumping beat, the “state daddy” himself WA Mark McGowan entered the room along with several Labor frontbenchers, and even a couple of former Prime Ministers — Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating.

Anthony Albanese speaks during the Labor Party election campaign launch at Optus Stadium on Sunday. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

The Labor leader welcomed by Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The audience was clapping along to Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man with feverish excitement, before an Indigenous music performance, a Welcome to Country and gushing speech from Penny Wong about the virtues of Mr Albanese.

Mr McGowan then took to the stage — garnering perhaps the biggest cheer of the night, and the biggest laugh when he compared himself to Albo.

He said the similarities ran “much deeper than politics”.

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese receive a standing ovation during the election campaign launch. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

At one point the audience was clapping along to Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man with feverish excitement. Picture: News.com.au

“We both caught Covid on the same day. We are both proud poodle owners — his is Toto, mine’s Georgie,” he said.

“Both of us have been on a diet for some time, and lost a fair bit of weight. But, no matter how hard we work at it, neither of us look like Peter Malinaskus (the new South Australian Premier).”

The Labor faithful were in stitches, but the mood soon changed when Scott Morrison’s name was mentioned — drawing a loud chorus of boos and hisses.

Anthony waves to supporters. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Once the ‘state daddy’ had said his piece, it was time for the main man to take the stage and a video featuring Russell Crowe’s growling voice boomed out for his introduction.

In a lengthy speech, Mr Albanese announced a suite of new policies — such as cheaper medicines and a plan for gender pay equity — and delivered a number of barbs at Mr Morrison - who he accused of being full of “smirk and mirrors”

It wasn’t exactly a difficult crowd to win over, but the Labor faithful appeared to lap it up.

Mr Albanese wrapped up his speech, before walking off to synchronised clapping from the crowd to the tune of Sounds of Then (This is Australia), by Gang Gajang - which in anyone’s eyes is an Aussie anthem.

As he was mobbed by supporters, news.com.au slinked off to write this story before being promptly whisked off at 1.30pm local time for our next flight.

It’s safe to say it was one of the more unusual parties we’ve been to.

Originally published as Federal election 2022: Inside Australia’s weirdest party