Shifting Labor deckchairs won’t still the drums

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Thursday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Anthony Albanese’s olive branch to rivals undermining his leadership is a last-ditch attempt to restore unity and ­re-set Labor’s policy direction.

The sweeping shake-up of Labor’s frontbench will not stop the drums beating around Albanese’s performance.

With pressure building over policy clashes and internal pessimism that Labor stands for nothing, the Opposition Leader was forced to dump plans for a minimal frontbench reshuffle.

Albanese has empowered rivals in Labor’s Right faction and dumped left-wing ally Mark Butler from the climate change and energy portfolio.

As with any reshuffle, there are winners and losers. And shifting opposition deckchairs is a long way off presenting an alternative government agenda.

Albanese’s leadership will remain under pressure as long as Labor fails to lay a glove on Scott Morrison.

After months of refusing to accept criticism of his leadership, Albanese must now shake up his public persona, sharpen his lines and execute an aggressive strategic agenda.

Labor needs to dump its obsession with the Twitter echo chamber and speak to all Australians.

Albanese’s defiant tone on Thursday, aimed at re-establishing his authority and improving his pitch to middle Australia, showed he was going nowhere and would need to be blasted out of the leader’s office.

The left-wing powerbroker, who turns 58 in March, on Thursday compared himself to US President Joe Biden and declared he would be prime minister after the next election.

The rhetoric belies deep cynicism in Labor ranks that Albanese can turn it around. They expect to lose the next election amid a global pandemic, economic crisis and internal divisions over key policy issues.

Labor deputy leader Richard Marles has stepped out of defence to take on a super economic portfolio, diminishing the influence of Treasury spokesman and leadership aspirant Jim Chalmers.

Butler takes on the key health and ageing portfolio ahead of the vaccination rollout and response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

NSW right-faction powerbroker Chris Bowen’s elevation as climate change and energy spokesman will test the political aptitude of the former immigration minister and Treasury spokesman after Butler failed to deliver mainstream climate policies. The move also shifts a leadership rival into one of Labor’s most difficult jobs.

Coalition strategists want Albanese as Labor leader at the next election but are prepared for a wildcard challenger, commissioning polling last year to test public sentiment towards possible contenders including Tanya Plibersek and Chalmers.

While it seems unlikely Labor can pull together as a competitive force in time, Coalition MPs know that after seven years in power, nothing can be taken for granted.