Steve Bracks is back — with advice for Anthony Albanese

The 44th Victorian premier, Steve Bracks, was this week’s surprise guest Labor stalwart, courtesy of Team Albo.

Anthony Albanese and Steve Bracks at the state memorial service for former Victorian premier John Cain last week. Picture: Jason Edwards

Victoria’s 44th premier, Steve Bracks,was this week’s surprise guest Labor stalwart, courtesy of Team Albo. Following Paul Keating’sinsult-heavy appearance at last week’s Labor caucus dinner — where the former prime minister labelled Liberal hero Robert Menzies a “vacuous pansy” — Bracks was in Parliament House on Tuesday morn for a pep talk. While the politicians were tied up in caucus, Bracks fronted a 45-minute all-staff meeting to answer questions about how he took Labor from state opposition into government in 1999 before winning two more elections. We may be two years away from the next federal election but it’s never too soon to start rallying the troops. And the former premier had many opinions on the federal realm. He was the co-author (with Bob Carr and John Faulkner) of the scathing confidential campaign review after Julia Gillard’s minority win in 2010. So how do you win an election? Bracks told the room there’s no magic bullet — you’ve just got to work your bum off. He stressed discipline, focus and unity. But according to those in attendance, the 65-year-old said that to win the next election Labor “has to let people know where you stand”. Which is exactly what some Labor MPs tell Strewth they want to do, but have been constrained by Anthony Albanese’s office. One backbench MP complained about being encouraged to make media appearances and criticise the government, only to be left tongue-tied when asked about one of the many portfolio areas Labor doesn’t have a policy on. For example, Albanese and deputy Richard Marles have mixed messages on coal and climate. We understand Bracks backed Team Albo’s rejection of the 24-hour news cycle and the “answer for everything, 100 positive policies” strategy preferred by Bill Shorten. Bracks says he didn’t set his election-winning policies — which defeated Jeff Kennett’s Liberal government and took Labor into power for eight years — until a year out from the poll. Don’t worry about it now, Bracks said, worry about it in 2021 when Labor “hopefully has power”. He also praised Albanese for being “authentic” and “down to earth” and called Scott Morrison’s win last May an “accidental extra term government”.

Coal-fired up

Labor’s Coal War continued on RN Breakfast, where the Opposition Leader was asked if his hypothetical Labor government would back new coal-fired power generators. “You may as well ask me, Fran, if I support unicorns,” he replied. Former minister Matt Canavan, who must have a bit of time on his hands, tweeted: “I see Albanese has compared coal-fired power stations to unicorns. Sounds like a good description of a Labor vote in a mining town. Imaginary!”

Very fetching umbrella

The Opposition Leader also shared a terrifying tale about his cavoodle to community radio station Bay and Basin 92.7FM. “I spoil my dog hopelessly,” Albanese confessed. “Poor Toto. I was worried about her on the weekend. Dogs, as you know, many of them will eat anything at all. And it was, of course, pouring on the weekend. And my son came down, he was about to go out into the rain. And he had this old umbrella that was one of those fold-up umbrellas that costs $2 from one of those cheap shops that always fall apart. And because it fell apart, bits of metal went everywhere. And I’m convinced that the dog ate a bit of the metal off the umbrella.”

Hello, possum

A surprise stowaway nearly sent the US embassy in Canberra into lockdown on Tuesday. “This morning we noticed a strange noise coming from under the hood (bonnet) of one of our vehicles,” the security-conscious Americans tweeted. “It turned out to be a possum who had found a nice warm place to hide from the rain.” A video showed the furry friend tucked away behind the V6 Toyota engine, parked at the residence down the road from parliament, resisting multiple rescue attempts. “She was understandably reluctant to leave. We’ve decided to let her stay for now while we find her a new home.”

Design diplomacy

The Prime Minister may hate the Canberra bubble, but Indonesian President Joko Widodo quite likes it. So much so, the leader who prefers to be known as Jokowi may use Canberra for inspiration when Indonesia’s capital is moved from Jakarta to a new city in the East Kalimantan province. The $34bn environmentally friendly low-carbon capital will be designed by the winners of an architectural competition, just like Walter Burley Griffin. Jokowi told local media he was impressed by Canberra’s landscape management and the height restrictions on city buildings.

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