Federal Labor frontbencher Meryl Swanson has sought to explain and justify her blunt warning to colleagues, after she declared the party faced an "electoral cliff" if it isn't able to better get its message through to voters.
Key points:
- Federal Labor frontbencher Meryl Swanson says she is not criticising Anthony Albanese, but is worried about the future of the party
- She delivered a similar message to colleagues directly in a closed-door party meeting on Tuesday
- Mr Albanese is said to have told his party room and Ms Swanson that it was important for Labor to stay on message
The MP, who serves as the Opposition's shadow assistant defence minister, holds the Hunter Valley electorate of Paterson.
She and some other MPs are concerned by the party's showing at last weekend's by-election in the NSW state seat of Upper Hunter, a result which has renewed some internal debate and much media commentary about Labor's strategy.
In comments to the ABC, Ms Swanson said she is not criticising Anthony Albanese's leadership, but is very worried the COVID-19 pandemic has the party drifting towards another term on the opposition benches.
"We are living in extraordinary times, difficult times to be an opposition when things are so uncertain," she said.
"But we need to really be taking it to this government, particularly over the vaccine rollout failures and the enormous problems with quarantine, which is a federal responsibility.
"We have to be alive to the fact we have a Prime Minister trying to pitch himself as a Premier. He's seen, we've seen, there is enormous power in incumbency.
"It is really difficult to cut through. We need to attack harder now."
ABC News: Ian Cutmore
)On Tuesday, she delivered a similar message to colleagues directly in a closed-door party meeting.
In comments one of her colleagues described as a passionate, stream of thought rant, Ms Swanson said the government was doing a better job at reaching voters and warned: "I worry that we are sleep-walking off a cliff."
She told the ABC, she thought she was speaking in a "safe space" and didn't expect her remarks would be leaked to The Sydney Morning Herald, which first reported them.
"I'm coming up to a third election, I don't want to be in opposition again," she added.
"The country needs change."
Mr Albanese is said to have told his party room and Ms Swanson that it was important for Labor to stay on message, rather than talking about internal issues.
This was widely interpreted as a critique of high-profile backbencher, Joel Fitzgibbon. On Monday, he claimed Labor was losing blue-collar voters due to its focus on climate change and threatened to quit if things didn't change.
When approached by the ABC, several opposition MPs described Ms Swanson as a good person, who was just genuinely worried about her seat and concerned the party isn't currently connecting with enough voters, amid the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
They said the by-election and recent state election results had "rattled" some people and raised concerns the pandemic would continue to make it harder for the opposition to get media coverage, allowing the government to get off the hook.
Friction also within the Coalition
Labor isn't the only party pushing for more attention and media coverage amid the pandemic.
Some members of the National Party have been unhappy with the Prime Minister, suggesting Scott Morrison has tried to muscle in on certain announcements recently.
A couple of MPs have told the ABC, the Liberal PM has on occasion not allowed Nationals Ministers to take enough of the limelight, when announcing projects and budget commitments within their portfolios.
This perception, which has long been a concern among members of the junior Coalition partner, was amplified around the time of the cabinet reshuffle in March.
It is understood, the Prime Minister wanted to give part of the portfolio held by Nationals Deputy David Littleproud to embattled Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds.
The proposal encountered resistance and did not occur.
However, some backbenchers think the Nationals should have tried to leverage the reshuffle to get another bigger budget portfolio and more power within the Coalition.
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2021-05-25 15:47:30Z
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