07:37

A short SitRep on the Labor leadership

There’s been a lot of moving parts over the course of the day, but let me summarise as best I can.



Tanya Plibersek is out.

Anthony Albanese is the left’s candidate for the leadership.

The question now is whether the right faction enters the field and on what terms.

Chris Bowen is mulling his options.

Queensland’s Jim Chalmers is also under some pressure to throw his hat in the ring because of Labor’s weak performance in the state in the election, and as a “next generation” figure.

My judgment is Chalmers will be influenced by what Bowen decides to do.

It’s not impossible, but I doubt we’ll see both of them advance forward.

It’s unclear to me right now whether either will make a play for leader (in which case there will be a ballot) or whether there will be a deal that Albanese is the leader and either Bowen or Chalmers is deputy, in which case there’s no ballot.

As they say in our business – more to come.