Green agenda ‘puts Labor in the bunker’, says Joel Fitzgibbon

Joel Fitzgibbon, the renegade member for Hunter, says his goal is to eradicate ‘extreme progressives’ from the ALP.

Driving policy changes … Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon wants to eradicate the ‘extreme progressives’ and return the ALP to its blue-collar roots. Picture: Nick Cubbin

Joel Fitzgibbon, the renegade member for Hunter, has likened himself to B.A. Santamaria, the divisive Labor figure — but ­instead of dedicating his life to purging the party of communists, as Santamaria did, he says his goal is to eradicate “extreme progressives” from the ALP.

Since he nearly lost his seat to a One Nation candidate at the last election — a seat held by Labor for the past 110 years, including by his father Eric — Mr Fitzgibbon has become outspoken in his ­demands the Labor Party return to its working-class roots, embrace the coal industry and go soft on its climate change ambitions.

“Sometimes I feel a bit like a modern-day Bob Santamaria,” Mr Fitzgibbon said “During the Cold War he wanted the party to win but felt he first needed to purge it and the trade unions of communists. During the climate wars of the 21st century, I too want to win but know we first must tame the extreme progressives.

“The irony is that Santamaria caused a split and helped consign us to opposition for 22 years. My objective is to prevent a split and save us from another two decades in opposition.”

A Labor luminary, who ­declined to be named, described Mr Fitzgibbon’s comparison as “absolutely barking mad”. He added that “the Liberal Party has lost seats because of its extreme inaction on climate change, and faces the loss of more … why would we follow suit? It’s nuts.”

Santamaria has been described as the most significant figure in Australian politics never to have held office, and was a hero to Tony Abbott. After World War II, he set up a Catholic organisation, The Movement, that sought to purge unions of communists. It led to a split in Labor and the formation of the Democratic Labour Party, which consigned the ALP to opposition and drove many ­Catholics from Labor.

Former NSW premier and foreign minister Bob Carr said the ALP could win only when united.

Labor only ever thrived when it was able to combine progressive social policies with sound economic policies, he added.

Mr Fitzgibbon’s view is there is no point having the world’s best climate policy if it condemns the party to perpetual opposition.