Joel Fitzgibbon resigns from Labor front bench after climate row with Anthony Albanese
Joel Fitzgibbon quit the Labor frontbench after one of the most acrimonious shadow cabinet meetings in more than a decade.
Joel Fitzgibbon has quit the Labor frontbench after a blistering shadow cabinet row with Anthony Albanese, in a move that amplifies internal divisions on climate change and threatens to destabilise the Opposition Leader.
Announcing his resignation as Labor’s agriculture and resources spokesman, Mr Fitzgibbon said he regretted not running for the leadership after the 2019 federal election loss, saying Mr Albanese could only win the next poll if he “listens to Joel Fitzgibbon more”.
“I’ve been trying to put labour back into the Labor Party,” Mr Fitzgibbon said on Tuesday.
Labor MPs warned that the member for Hunter — the most senior member of the NSW Right in parliament and an influential factional player in past leadership contests — could act as a stalking horse for another Right faction candidate, such as Jim Chalmers or deputy leader Richard Marles.
But Mr Fitzgibbon said he remained supportive of Mr Albanese, adding he would only consider a tilt at the leadership if he was drafted into the role.
His resignation came the morning after one of the most acrimonious meetings of Labor’s shadow cabinet in more than a decade as divisions on climate change boiled over. After clashing with Mr Albanese, Mr Fitzgibbon was also confronted by opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus over his view that the party was concentrating too heavily on so-called progressive issues.
Labor frontbenchers in Monday night’s meeting said they witnessed an “odd” one-on-one argument between the Opposition Leader and Mr Fitzgibbon, broadly described as “by far” the most heated argument they had seen in shadow cabinet or cabinet since the Rudd and Gillard years.
Mr Fitzgibbon told caucus the next morning he was quitting the frontbench, and was replaced by NSW Right MP Ed Husic. Mr Albanese will consider a broader reshuffle by the end of the year.
Shadow cabinet sources said the argument was instigated by Mr Albanese after he launched what was described as a veiled “third person” swipe at Mr Fitzgibbon’s policy of freelancing on climate change.Mr Fitzgibbon is said to have responded “I’m right here mate” and aired his differences with Mr Albanese over the lessons Labor should heed from the Queensland and US elections.
The argument ensued as most MPs sat in stunned silence. The sole intervention came from Mr Dreyfus who labelled Mr Fitzgibbon a “disgrace”.
Mr Fitzgibbon replied to Mr Dreyfus: “Shut up, you idiot. You just assured me I’m on the right path.”
The veteran MP then motioned forcefully with his hand for Mr Dreyfus to sit back.
“I actually thought it was going to get physical,” said one Labor MP who was in the room.
Mr Albanese also told Mr Dreyfus to stay out of the argument. Mr Marles, as deputy leader, tried to move the conversation on, but Mr Fitzgibbon and Mr Albanese continued their shouting match.
“What was odd about it is that it was done with so many people just sitting there,” said one Labor frontbencher in the meeting.
Another said both Mr Albanese and Mr Fitzgibbon acted poorly in the debate and it “wasn’t how adults should behave”.
“I don’t think anyone covered themselves in glory,” one MP said
Another shadow cabinet member said: “I thought there was going to be a bit of a barney but I was surprised at how robust it was”.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the Labor Party needed to concentrate on key issues that affected its supporters. “I think the Labor Party has spent too much time talking about things like climate change — which is an important issue — and not enough on issues important to our traditional base,” he said.
“The Labor Party, since the 2013 election, has had, I suppose, at least two energy policies and two climate change policies. And I note that both of them had been rejected by the Australian people.”
Mr Fitzgibbon said his views on climate change and energy policy had “substantial support” within caucus across both the Right and Left factions.
In a thinly veiled swipe at Left faction heavyweight and energy spokesman Mark Butler, Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor had failed to win public support for its energy policy over “the last seven or eight years”. Mr Butler has been climate change and energy spokesman since 2013.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he always planned to leave the frontbench midway through this term of parliament and said he would contest his seat at the next election.
Mr Albanese, Mr Butler and other Labor MPs were furious Mr Fitzgibbon derailed Labor’s plan to use the US election to pressure the Morrison government over climate change given US President-elect Joe Biden’s ambitious agenda on cutting emissions.
Scott Morrison said Mr Fitzgibbon had been driven out of Mr Albanese’s shadow cabinet by pro-climate action “ideological zealots”.
MPs say the lack of a clear leadership alternative makes Mr Albanese’s position more secure. While Mr Marles and Mr Chalmers are viewed as potential future leaders, NSW frontbenchers Chris Bowen, Tanya Plibersek and Tony Burke are also believed to have ambitions for the top job.
One Labor frontbencher said it was “foolish” for Mr Butler and Mr Albanese to view the US election result as a “new green dawn” on climate change. “It is not right,” the MP said. “It was a reaction against Trump.”
Mr Albanese said Mr Fitzgibbon had “made a valuable contribution” as a Labor MP. “We’ve been mates for a very long period of time. And that will continue into the future,” he said.
Mr Albanese backed Mr Fitzgibbon’s call for the party to broaden its support in the regions.
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