The depth of the divisions within Labor over climate change and energy policy are now so great that the shadow cabinet almost descended into a fist fight between two senior frontbenchers on Monday night.
The incident between Joel Fitzgibbon and Mark Dreyfus, which was overseen by Anthony Albanese and arguably fuelled by him, was the catalyst for the dramatic resignation on Tuesday by Fitzgibbon, who was Labor’s agriculture and resources spokesman and chief right-wing agitator.
The fallout from it now poses the most serious risk to Albanese’s leadership so far, so much so that many in the Labor Right now believe it may be ultimately terminal.
Fitzgibbon, guided by no one in particular but backed by enough, has smashed the glass and left others to decide what to do with the shards.
While he was always planning to step down from the frontbench over summer, to make way for fellow NSW Right colleague Ed Husic, the timing of Tuesday’s blow-up was fortuitous.
And Albanese appears to have walked straight into it.
The brawl gave the perfect excuse for a disorderly departure, which sent a straight-talking message to the similarly disaffected in the caucus; there is enough of the killing season left this year if they want to do something about the leadership.
Albanese’s security resides in the absence of a challenger yet brave enough to try it on — with the exception of Fitzgibbon.
Witnesses say the dust-up between Albanese and Fitzgibbon, who make a virtue of the idea that they are mates and the only two remaining Labor MPs from the class of 96, was the worst they had seen.
But a second shootout over the tribal and ideological hostilities between factions over climate change was assured the day Fitzgibbon declared his post-election war on the Left’s climate change spokesman Mark Butler.
Unsurprising as it is that it came to a head on Monday, the ferocity of the debate stunned some. Albanese’s thinly veiled attack on Fitzgibbon, for having the temerity to call nonsense on the idea that Joe Biden’s US election victory was a victory for global progressive leftism, was a serious tactical mistake.
Fitzgibbon piped up that he was sitting right in front of him, and challenged Albanese to have it out. “I’m right here mate, so let’s deal with it,” Fitzgibbon is reported to have said.
What followed, according to another in the room, was a “massive blow-up”.
“It was the worst I have seen,” said one of the colleagues.
Fitzgibbon repeated his publicly expressed rejection of any analysis that suggested the result in either the Queensland or US elections could in any way be interpreted as lending support to the Left’s agenda.
According to one witnesses, Victorian frontbencher Mark Dreyfus, who was close by, shouted at Fitzgibbon that he was a “disgrace”. To which Fitzgibbon is said to have replied: “Shut up you idiot. You just assured me I’m on the right path.”
As he was doing so, the veteran regional MP from the Hunter was reported to have been forcefully motioning with his hand for Dreyfus to back off.
One of Fitzgibbon’s colleagues thought it could come to blows. “I actually thought it was going to get physical,” the colleague said.
Fitzgibbon’s move is ominous for Albanese. Having backed his leadership until now, in the hope that his efforts to provide Albanese a path by which to steer the party back to a sensible and more centrist direction, his resignation signals a complete loss of faith in Albanese’s leadership.
He no longer thinks Albanese is a viable leader.
While Butler and others on the opposition frontbench will welcome Fitzgibbon’s departure, claiming that he was never really in the tent, his absence means groupthink will take further hold of policy decision-making.
There will be no-one left with the courage to argue the Right’s position with strength.
Secondly, it gives Fitzgibbon even further latitude to argue the industrial Right’s case on energy, mining and climate change outside the constraints of the frontbench — not that this has been much of a constraint in the past.
While his resignation was not part of an orchestrated campaign by the Right, it was a deliberate signal. His extraordinary press conference presented as a contender’s manifesto. He made it clear that, if he was drafted, he would run for the leadership.
For Scott Morrison, this is now a case of “careful what you wish for”, if the tearing down of Albanese is indeed a goal he would want to pursue.
Fitzgibbon has broad appeal. He would be the first authentic regional Labor MP to become party leader if that were to happen. What this would mean for the Liberal National Party in Queensland requires little analysis.
And while the Coalition may not think Fitzgibbon himself would present a threat, it is what he seeks to represent as an alternative Labor model that would present a very real danger to the Morrison government.
More Coverage
Ex-union boss to lead Safe Work
One of Anthony Albanese’s closest union allies, Tony Maher, has been appointed to lead the workplace health and safety watchdog.
Federal review to give verdict on puberty blockers
A newly announced inquiry by the National Health and Medical Research Council will cut short the Queensland government’s review of puberty blocker prescriptions.