The Labor Party faces at least a three-way leadership contest in the wake of Saturday night’s election loss with senior frontbenchers Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen to join deputy leader Tanya Plibersek in a ballot to be decided by the party’s members and caucus.
The field could further widen with defence spokesman Richard Marles, finance spokesman Jim Chalmers and environment spokesman Tony Burke also believed to be weighing up their options.
Ms Plibersek, who is also the party’s education spokeswoman, confirmed on Sunday morning she was considering running for the leadership after outlining her thoughts on why Labor was defeated on Saturday.
six years, and that we continue to offer Australians real options,” Ms Plibersek told the ABC’s Insiders program.
“I think the investment in health and education, a real plan to tackle climate change, a real plan to lift wages, these are all absolutely critical to our chances of winning next time and making sure that we’re explaining those policies is critical too.
“We have an obligation as Labor Party people to keep fighting for a fairer Australia, for a strong economy and a fair society.”
Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese are both from the party’s left while Mr Bowen, the party’s shadow treasurer, comes from the powerful NSW right faction. All are from Sydney.
Some inside the party have questioned whether Mr Bowen is too damaged by his close association with the party’s tax and franking credits policies which the Coalition campaigned against so effectively.
Mr Albanese, who ran against Mr Shorten for the Labor leadership in 2013, will hold a press conference later this afternoon to announce his candidacy.
Under leadership rules introduced by former prime minister Kevin Rudd leadership contenders must win support of both party members and the Labor party room.
The process took about five weeks in 2013. Mr Albanese won the rank-and-file membership vote but Mr Shorten won the caucus vote and, when the two were combined, he was the victor.With The Age
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