Albo’s plan to deal with China

Anthony Albanese has pledged to blitz Queensland in the new year following the relaxation of border restrictions, but he’s under fire after splitting from the Government on China.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is under fire after splitting from the Government on China, while saying his strategy to deal the complex situation was to get into government.

Mr Albanese will arrive in Queensland for the first time since March, after border restrictions with NSW lifted.

And he has pledged to blitz Queensland in the new year as he makes the state’s southeast his first port of call following the relaxation of border restrictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Mr Albanese of having an each-way bet on China, after tensions between Canberra and Beijing sunk to a new low this week.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says his plan to deal with China was to “get into government”. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

Mr Albanese accused the Coalition of being behind a complete breakdown of relations with China, but was yesterday unable to say what the issue was or what he would do differently.

“They are the Government. What is their strategy for dealing with this? Our strategy is to get into government. That’s our strategy,” the Opposition Leader said.

“My arguments have been very consistent.”

“All Australians stand in repudiating the disgusting, provocative tweet done by the representative of the China foreign affairs department.

“We are at one with the Government.

“China didn’t become a communist nation this week.

“There’s a big difference between our values and their values.”

He said there needed to be more diversification of trading partners, with there being too much concentration of Australia’s exports with China.

Mr Morrison said he was disappointed but not surprised by Mr Albanese’s stance.

“You can’t have each-way bets on national security and what Australia does to protect its national interests,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Albanese said he was taking the first opportunity available to get back to Queensland since borders reopened this week.

“Queensland is a critical part of Labor’s plan for jobs and economic growth, particularly when it comes to a revival of manufacturing, particularly in regional areas,” he said.

Mr Albanese was at the Cribb Street Childcare Centre in Ipswich on Friday morning spruiking Labor’s child care policy which follows on from the recently released Investing in Australia’s Early Childhood Infrastructure report from the Chifley Research Centre.

Mr Albanese said Labor’s planned removal of the cap on the child care subsidy would benefit up to 97 per cent of families seeking child care.

He dismissed suggestion from former Labor Treasurer Wayne Swan that Labor had to refocus on the business of winning government and remind itself that “Labor is not a pressure group nor a policy seminar or a wine and cheese society.’’

Mr Swan’s comments follow on from the departure from the Opposition front bench of Joel Fitzgibbon who has criticised Labor for losing touch with its working class roots after nearly losing his own seat of Hunter in the NSW mining heartland.

Mr Albanese said Labor was very much in touch with working Australia, and the party’s budget response which put the focus on jobs was proof of that commitment.

Mr Albanese said he would also focus strongly on Queensland in the new year, with plans to visit here again as early as next month and that would include ongoing contact with coal miners.

“I visit everywhere in Queensland,’’ he said.

“Barcaldine, Emerald Rocky, Gladstone, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, the Sunshine Coast, Mackay.

”I have visited Townsville on multiple occasions.’’

Mr Albanese said he had personally launched in Mackay a report critical of Labor contracting which was undermining coal miners conditions

Originally published as Albo’s plan to deal with China