Anthony Albanese gets an earful in Wollongong as critics question ex-Greens pick

Anthony Albanese’s official launch of the Labor candidate for Whitlam, Carol Berry, has been derailed by hecklers.

Carol Berry, a former Greens national secretary and now Labor candidate for Whitlam, with Anthony Albanese in Wollongong. Picture: PMO

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Heckling of Anthony Albanese derailed the official launch of Labor’s candidate for Whitlam, Carol Berry, amid criticism over the decision to run a former Greens Party national secretary in the industrial seat.

Declaring that Ms Berry had been a member of the Labor Party for 20 years, the Prime Minister shrugged off concerns that the disability executive’s past involvement with the Greens would have an impact on her chances in the seat, which includes a steelworks and coal terminal in Port Kembla.

Ms Berry has previously contested the seat of Cunningham for the Greens and contested a NSW Senate seat for the party in 2004. She has also served as the Greens’ national secretary.

Mr Albanese said Ms Berry, who is seeking to take over from Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones, who is retiring from parliament, had opted to join the minor party when she was “very young” but had since realised that Labor was a party of government.

“She’s been a member of the Labor Party for over 20 years,” Mr Albanese said.

“The Greens don’t provide a way forward. The Greens are a party of protest. If you’re serious about change, the Labor Party is the vehicle which, as a party of government, promotes that change. Carol Berry has been that for more than two decades.”

But questions emerged on Friday over Ms Berry’s history with the party, after a book from the 2016 NSW Labor conference surfaced making reference to her resignation. “This appeal was upheld on the basis that Carol Berry has contacted the NSW party office, in writing, resigning from the party,” the book said.

A NSW Labor spokesman rejected suggestions her membership had not been continuous for 20 years. He said the mention of Ms Berry’s resignation was in reference to her quitting the party in 2000, when she left to join the Greens before returning five years later.

“Carol Berry has been a member of the NSW Labor Party since 2005,” the spokesman said

“The tribunal decision referenced in the 2016 Labor Conference Book is a ruling on the form of her membership resignation in 2000.”

Mr Albanese said Ms Berry had been elected unopposed by local Labor members and pointed to the crowd of supporters present on Friday as proof she had the backing of the community.

He dismissed protesters who heckled him as a “small couple of Labor Party opponents spouting the same lines as the Clive Palmer party and Peter Dutton sprouts from time to time”.

The activists – who yelled “get out of here” and “we don’t want you here” at Mr Albanese – were opposed to plans for offshore wind farms. One man yelled “why don’t we put them in front of your bloody mansion”.

On his tour of the Illawarra, south of Sydney, Mr Albanese also visited BlueScope Steel in Port Kembla.

Opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said the incident highlighted the danger of ignoring community concern over renewable projects, and accused Labor of avoiding scrutiny of its offshore wind farm push.

“Anthony Albanese just saw first-hand what happens when you ignore a local community,” he said. “He was heckled and shouted down in Wollongong because locals are fed up with Labor ignoring their economic, social and environmental concerns about offshore wind.

“Labor is hiding from scrutiny on all things offshore wind and it is shutting out communities.”

Mr O’Brien said Labor had sought to downplay a Senate inquiry into offshore wind by failing to hold a single public hearing, while drawing attention to its parliamentary probe into the viability of nuclear power generation. The Coalition has placed nuclear power at the centre of its energy policy, vowing to build reactors at seven sites.

One of the protesters, Responsible Future Illawarra spokesman Alex O’Brien, said he was concerned about the economic and environmental impacts of offshore turbines.

“We’re concerned about local jobs in fishing and tourism, and that’s why we’re here today,” he said.