And you thought Bill was bad? Labor figure who orchestrated the party’s disastrous failed attacks against retirees and mum and dad property investors now wants to run the party
- Bill Shorten’s economic spokesman will run for the federal Labor leadership
- Chris Bowen’s run complicated by his close association with franking credit plan
- Tanya Plibersek was poised to enter the race but changed her mind on Monday
Chris Bowen, the man behind the unpopular economic policies Labor brought to Saturday’s election, will run for the Labor leadership against Anthony Albanese.
Mr Bowen will announce his bid to be leader of the Opposition at a press conference in western Sydney on Tuesday morning.
The 46-year-old would have been Treasurer in a Bill Shorten government and is closely associated with the party’s franking credit and negative gearing policies.
He’s running: Chris Bowen (left) will today announce his tilt for the Labor leadership. Jim Chalmers (right) has also been named as a possible contender
Firm favourite Mr Albanese, 56, has already signaled he would junk the Opposition’s franking credit plan.
Mr Bowen’s announcement came after Tanya Plibersek decided to run – but then changed her mind and ruled herself out of the race.
‘Now is not the time,’ Ms Plibersek said, citing family responsibilities.
Other possible leadership aspirants include former Defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon and finance spokesman Jim Chalmers.
Bill Shorten resigned as Labor leader on Saturday night after he led the party to a catastrophic defeat.
Mr Shorten’s party had won virtually every opinion poll since 2016 but the Coalition was re-elected and is projected to have won more seats in the House of Representatives than it held previously.
MORE TO COME