Anthony Albanese agrees with Bill Shorten that ‘vested interests’ led to defeat

Anthony Albanese admits he agrees with Bill Shorten that “vested interests” had a hand in the party’s federal election defeat.

Anthony Albanese at Parliament House. Picture: Kym Smith.

Anthony Albanese has admitted he agrees with Bill Shorten that “vested interests” had a hand in the party’s shock federal election defeat.

“There is no doubt that vested interests did play a role,” he told Nine’s Today program on Friday.

“But we also have to accept our responsibility that some of the policies that we put forward clearly didn’t connect with enough people.”

“We also have to accept our responsibility. That some of the policies that we put forward clearly didn’t connect with enough people…we have to do better next time.” - @AlboMP #9Today pic.twitter.com/KK5UUyDgoI

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) May 30, 2019

When the former Labor leader fronted caucus in Canberra on Thursday to tell MPs why the campaign he led had failed, he blamed opponents telling lies about his policies.

“Obviously we were up against corporate leviathans, a financial behemoth, spending unprecedented hundreds of millions of dollars advertising, telling lies, spreading fear,” he said.

“Powerful vested interests campaigned against us through sections of the media itself, and they got what they wanted.”

Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham said Mr Shorten was “delusional” and cautioned Mr Albanese against adding the ex-leader to his shadow cabinet. “You might forgive a bit of bitterness but he doesn’t seem to understand or have heard any of the messages … that there were policy failures at the heart of why the Labor Party lost the election,” the South Australian senator told Today.

Senator Birmingham also pointed to the Liberal Party’s own negative experience in having former leaders — like Tony Abbott — in the parliament, saying “things are smoother, perhaps when you don’t have some of those former leaders”.

The attack from Mr Shorten — who will stay on the frontbench — was at odds with the message promoted yesterday by the newly installed Opposition Leader, who identified the plan to scrap cash refunds for excess franking credits and the alienation of small business owners as key factors in the election result.

As he was officially endorsed as the 21st leader of the Labor Party, Mr Albanese said he would re-engage with rural Australia after the party suffered major swings against it in the regions and flagged a frontbench listening tour across the nation to help the party understand the reasons why it lost.

“It is time for us to use this period to listen to what people are saying to us about how we can improve our performance,” Mr Albanese said.

Mr Albanese today dismissed reports today that Mr Shorten still harboured hopes to return to the leadership while Mr Shorten tweeted that it was “just wrong.”

“I have and will work hard every day to keep our party united and make the case for Labor under albo’s leadership,” he posted.

The report in the SMH and the Age today is just wrong.

As I said yesterday, I have and will work hard every day to keep our party united and make the case for Labor under Albo’s leadership at the next election.

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) May 30, 2019

Labor frontbencher Catherine King says the party has to accept responsibility for its loss at the May 18 election and it should take its time with the post-mortem. “We scared people, basically, I think,” she told ABC radio today. “And particularly we scared people in our working class and lower-income areas and we have to understand what that was and ... why we weren’t getting our message through.” But she also said scare campaigns like those run against Labor only worked when there was a receptive audience.

Mr Albanese will announce the Labor frontbench by Sunday and said the first shadow ministry meeting would be held on Tuesday in Brisbane as he starts a nation wide tour of Australia talking to ordinary people about why they turned against Labor.

The shadow cabinet and outer shadow ministry has 16 members from the Right, and 14 from the Left.

Factional deals and personal sacrifices have been made, with NSW MP Ed Husic and SA senator Don Farrell making way for NSW senator Kristina Keneally. The former NSW premier will become Penny Wong’s deputy in the Senate after Senator Farrell stepped aside for her. She will also be on the frontbench after Mr Husic withdrew.

Mr Shorten and his former deputy Tanya Plibersek will remain on the frontbench, while non-aligned MP and former finance spokesman Andrew Leigh has been dumped. Mr Albanese’s deputy will be Victorian MP Richard Marles, who will be tasked with ensuring Labor can broaden the appeal of its policies.

With AAP