NSW Right MPs set to get behind Anthony Albanese‘s Labor leadership run

NSW Right MPs look set to back Anthony Albanese for the leadership of the Labor Party.

Anthony Albanese at the Unity Hall Hotel in Balmain before announcing he would run as Labor leader. Picture: AAP.

NSW Right MPs look set to get behind Anthony Albanese for the leadership of the Labor Party despite Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen, who hails from their faction, weighing up his options today.

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Sources told The Australian “Albo” was likely to have the critical support of the faction, despite him being from the Left faction, particularly if it looked like being a head-to-head with fellow Left-winger Tanya Plibersek.

The party will now have to hold concurrent ballots of the membership for NSW and federal leadership positions, having delayed the state leader’s vote until after the federal election was complete.

The ballots are expected to be held sometime next month with nominations to open this week.

In the mix for state NSW Labor leader to replace Michael Daley are the Opposition water spokesman Chris Minns and Opposition transport spokeswoman Jodi McKay.

After flirting with running, Shadow Treasurer Ryan Park confirmed to The Australian yesterday he would not be running for the leadership.

State MPs were justifiably concerned their race would be completely overshadowed now by the race for federal leader.

That race appears likely to be heavily-NSW centric as well given Mr Albanese, Ms Plibersek and Mr Bowen, should he put his hat in the ring, all hail from Sydney.

“No-one knows what the f--- is going to happen or what is going on,” one state Labor MP told The Australian yesterday concerning the state leadership contest.

NSW Labor head office is expected to negotiate with the party’s national office to ensure the ballots are held concurrently.

With the ballots split 50-50 between the lay party and the two caucuses, some 40,000 ALP members are expected to vote in the national ballot and between 17,000 and 20,000 in the ballot for NSW leader.

Earlier today, Mr Albanese has put his hand up for the Labor leadership, casting himself as an authentic, working class warrior who can take on Scott Morrison and lead the ALP back into power.

The former deputy prime minister — who was beaten by Bill Shorten for the leadership in 2013 despite getting the backing of party members — said he was “rough around the edges” but had the skills to rebuild a devastated Opposition.

“What you see is what you get with me, for better or worse. I am a bit rough at the edges, but I think that Australians don’t want someone who just utters talking points,” he said in Sydney today.

“So from time to time, I will not be as articulate as someone who is simply reading from a script. But I offer myself forward, I do it in a way which I wasn’t expecting, frankly.

“I have an affinity with working people.

“One of the things that I will do is be inclusive and listen to people, of whatever background. One of the things that characterises my politics is that I have as much respect for the blue-collar worker or the homeless person as the very successful business person.”

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Mr Albanese would not say if he would dump Mr Shorten’s controversial tax reforms but said he wanted to “create wealth” not just redistribute it.

Mr Albanese is set to be joined in the contest by Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, who confirmed earlier this morning she was considering a bid. It would set up an unprecedented battle between two major figures in the NSW Labor Left.

Labor Right candidates could include opposition treasury spokesman Chris Bowen, finance spokesman Jim Chalmers, defence spokesman Richard Marles and manager of opposition business Tony Burke.

Mr Albanese tried to shake off the mantle of the Left’s candidate and said he did not want the Labor leadership contest to become an inter-factional fight.

“This is not a factional position. I am not running for the leader of the left or the centre,” he said.

“I am running for leader of the Labor Party, and what needs to happen is that every Labor Party caucus member need to determine what they think is the best opportunity, say that in three

years time, they are sitting on the other side of the Parliament, rather than where they are now.”

Mr Shorten will convene a meeting of Labor’s national executive tomorrow to start the process for finding a new leader. He will remain interim leader until a successor is chosen.