Dump Albanese for Shorten, says President of Jacqui Lambie Network

A Bill Shorten return to the ALP leadership has gained the support of the president of the Jacqui Lambie Network.

Jacqui Lambie and then Jacqui Lambie network party spokesman Glynn Williams arrive at the Burnie Court in 2018. Picture: Chris Kidd.

Bill Shorten’s return to the ALP leadership has gained an unlikely backer — the president of the Jacqui Lambie Network.

Glynn Williams, an Ulverstone lawyer and farmer, says Labor has zero chance of winning the upcoming election unless the party dumps Anthony Albanese and promotes Mr Shorten.

With Scott Morrison’s prime ministership lurching between crises, Mr Williams, a former Lambie Network Tasmanian Senate candidate, said only Mr Shorten had the requisite attributes to take advantage and drag Labor over the line — despite losing the 2016 and 2019 elections under the current opposition NDIS spokesman

“Even this morning, I heard Albo being interviewed, and this thing tended to be terribly polite, well intentioned, but he struck me as more a political commentator, than a politician,” Mr Williams told The Australian.

“And it came to the extraordinary realisation for me that there was only one choice, which was to bring back Bill Shorten.”

The Opposition Leader was a “very dedicated, loyal, serving politician”, but lacked the cut-through necessary to win the looming election, Mr Williams said.

It was apparent, Mr Williams said, that the former Australian Workers Union national secretary still had the hunger for the top job, while had learned the hard lessons of the preceding elections. So much so, that he had “Bring Bill Back” T-shirts made up, with “Albo Can’t Do It” written on the back.

Bill Shorten. Picture: Supplied

The Lazarus-like return of Mr Shorten wouldn’t be unprecedented, Mr Williams said, pointing to the political fortunes of former prime minister John Howard, who lost the 1987 election and was replaced by Andrew Peacock before regaining the leadership in 1995 and going on to win in 1996.

“And Australians would know well actually, this guy has been hanging around; he is reliable,” he said.

“And it demonstrates the competence and discipline to competence and discipline that are the things that are speaking to Australians at the moment when we seem to be almost leaderless and that’s not good for the country.”

A spokesman for Jacqui Lambie said Mr William’s position wasn’t shared by the Tasmanian senator, nor by the party.

Senator Lambie delivered a ferocious speech in the upper house on Monday, condemning One Nation for using vaccine mandates to divide the nation, highlighting the numerous double standards in the Pauline Hanson’s sudden belief in defending anti-discrimination.

“One Nation wants a ban on any immigration from majority Muslim countries, even if the person isn’t Muslim,” she said.

“People don’t choose what country they are born in, that is discrimination … Being held accountable for your own actions isn’t called discrimination, it’s called being – you wouldn’t believe it – a God damn, bloody adult.”