‘Quiet genius’ of ALP to laud party’s renewables win

ALP national secretary Paul Erickson, who mastermind the ALP’s landslide victory, has hailed the party’s ‘embrace’ of renewable energy as one of its election-winning tenets during a speech to the National Press Club.

Labor national secretary and election campaign director Paul Erickson gives his Campaign Director's address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Labor’s “quiet genius” who mastermind the ALP’s landslide victory has claimed the party’s “embrace” of renewable energy was one its election-winning tenets, as he prepares to lift the curtain behind May 3’s historic victory

ALP national secretary and campaign director Paul Erickson told the National Press Club on Wednesday that Anthony Albanese was in the “form of his life” and that Peter Dutton succeeded in “never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity”.

Mr Erickson spruiked the ALP’s embracing of renewable energy as a driving factor towards its victory, despite it featuring only sparingly during the campaign and March’s pre-election budget.

“Under Labor, Australia has put an end to the denial and delay, and is embracing renewable energy to power our economy,” Mr Erickson told the press club on Wednesday.

“In the decade before 2022, Australia’s policy settings barely acknowledged climate change and there was no plan for keeping the lights on.

“Now we are taking advantage of the opportunities created by the global shift to renewables … As the Prime Minister said at our launch, Labor has one energy policy and we’re delivering it – driving private sector investment in renewables, backed by gas, hydro and batteries.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese makes a surprise appearance at National Press Club on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

At Labor’s Perth-based campaign launch in April, Mr Albanese told party faithful that voters had chosen the ALP three years ago with a mandate to pursue renewables, vowing to “build more renewables here and now”.

Mr Erickson claims the public embraced the renewables policy compared with the Liberals “plugging nuclear energy and then running away from any detail and argue it was one of four key election factors alongside Labor’s record on tackling rising cost of living, driving down inflation, and “laying the foundations” for long-term reform.

“Coming into 2025, the conventional wisdom undervalued Labor’s capacity to use our record as the foundation for our second-term policy offer,” Mr Erickson said, spruiking Mr Albanese’s achievements in delivering tax cuts, energy bill relief, increasing bulk-billing, and investment in TAFE. “And it underestimated the capacity of the Australian electorate to assess how their leaders were responding to changing circumstances.”

The ALP boss said Mr Albanese was “exemplary” and provided “authentic leadership”.

Mr Erickson at the party’s May 3 election event in Sydney. Picture: Jason Edwards

“Albo was in his element, connecting with everyday people and enjoying it,” he said, arguing the Prime Minister provided “authentic leadership” amid Don­ald Trump’s tariffs and during Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

“And while (he) was telling a positive story about who we are and where we’re going, Peter Dutton was gloomy about the country, downcast about the future, and most animated when magnifying the problems facing Australia.”

Mr Erickson’s steering of Labor’s second consecutive election victory has prompted suggestions party powerbrokers could “gift” a federal seat to the national secretary, who is unlikely to take charge of a third campaign but who is not angling for a position and declined an offer to replace senator Linda White when she died from illness early last year.

Yet after two decisive Labor wins, colleagues told The Australian in May that they hoped Mr Erickson would remain steering the ship. “It’s a matter for him obviously, but for us we’re thinking ‘Please, please don’t leave, because whatever you’re doing, it’s working’,” one Labor MP previously told The Australian.