Labor’s new leader Bill Shorten is entering opposition “on the strongest footing any Labor leader has had”, says Katy Gallagher.
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The ACT Chief Minister said the month-long leadership contest had strengthened Mr Shorten’s mandate, despite a majority of rank-and-file members voting for his opponent Anthony Albanese.
Ms Gallagher, who backed Mr Albanese for Opposition Leader, said the first test of reforms introduced by former Prime Minster Kevin Rudd had “been really good for the party at a time when it’s going through such a difficult defeat.”
“The challenge now is that everyone gets behind Bill and rebuilds the Labor brand federally,” she said shortly after the announcement of the leadership vote on Sunday.
“It was a pretty close vote when you mix the membership and the caucus which shows that they were both such good candidates – something which I said all along.
“This has been a very public process but ultimately for us it just was about allowing some of that healing in the party and I think it has done that.”
Ms Gallagher said Mr Shorten would be “an excellent leader”
“Now the vote’s been announced, everyone’s going to get behind the leader and work with him,” she said.
“There’s more that needs to happen in the party to reform.
“It’s hard to lead a united team but this gives him the strongest footing any Labor leader has had heading into opposition before.”
Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh said “Bill will be a splendid Labor leader”, but did not say which way he had voted in the caucus ballot, which delivered Mr Shorten 55 out of 86 votes.
Mr Leigh said Mr Shorten’s greatest ability was that he could “connect with people across the spectrum” and he expected the new leader would adopt “a Bob Hawke style” of consultative leadership.
Member for Canberra Gai Brodtmann, who backed Mr Shorten in the caucus vote, said the party’s new leader had the ability to “take up the fight” to the new government “but also the ability to listen and involve others in decision-making processes”.
She echoed the sentiments of other Labor MPs on Sunday, saying the party would present “a united front” in opposition and declared the next election was winnable for Labor.
ACT senator Kate Lundy said the process of giving rank-and-file members a say had ignited enthusiasm in the party.
