'I'm determined to do what needs to be done': Anthony Albanese has begun his campaign blitz, saying he's learnt the lessons of Labor's 2019 defeat | Rob Harris
within the party’s senior ranks during the past nine years. But Albanese says those observations seriously underestimate the benefit of political experience and the relationship building that it brings.
“I’ve met Joe Biden. Morrison hadn’t met Joe Biden,” he says. “Instead he campaigned for Donald Trump,” referring to his attendance at a rally in Ohio during his visit to the US in September 2019. But Albanese is unapologetic about this. In the days after taking the leadership in May 2019 he said: “As much as some people will tell me I need a little bit more polish, I intend to be exactly who I am. Because that’s what’s got me to this position today.”
Several anxious Labor MPs down south were eager for independent feedback from this reporter along the way as to how their boss was performing and Queenslanders were responding. Yes, they concede, their leader is prone to waffle and not the best media performer, but it might not matter if sentiment continues to turn on the Morrison government.“You know he’s not going to improve on that stuff,” one says. “He’s not that good at it, but maybe, this time, he’ll be good enough.
“We’ve learned the lessons,” he says. “We did a whole review into it … our policy offering wasn’t strong enough to secure the support of people in Queensland.” The night before, Albanese had been given a rockstar’s welcome at a gathering of 40 or so Labor branch members at the Northern Beaches Bowling Club in Mackay. First prize in the raffle was a COVID-19 survival kit, including a couple of precious rapid antigen tests.