Anthony Albanese set to reveal if he will stand for Labor leadership against Bill Shorten

Updated

Former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese will reveal to his colleagues today if he will seek the Labor leadership.

With federal MPs arriving in Canberra for their first meetings since the election, Labor will open nominations for the leadership.

Bill Shorten is a confirmed candidate and has the support of right faction MPs such as Bernie Ripoll, who says Mr Shorten would make a great leader.

Mr Albanese said this morning that he would inform his Caucus colleagues first of his intentions before making them public.

"Today the party of nation-building begins rebuilding ourselves as a political force," he said.

"It's important that we regroup, that we unite and we move forward as a uniting force, that we move forward with a policy agenda of both holding the government to account, once Mr Abbott gets around to swearing in his new team.

"One of the lessons I think that we have to learn is that we can't continue to be driven by the 24-hour media cycle.

"And we have to have discussions in a deliberative way with our internal processes.

"That begins in terms of the Caucus today and I intend to do what, in my view, is appropriate, which is inform my Caucus colleagues first of my intentions."

How does the voting work? Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten (pictured) will both stand for the Labor Party leadership. Political correspondent Simon Cullen explains Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten (pictured) will both stand for the Labor Party leadership. Political correspondent Simon Cullen explains how the new voting rules work.

Mr Albanese can count on the vote of backbencher Graham Perrett, who has given his pre-emptive endorsement.

Incoming Labor Senator Sam Dastyari says a ballot involving both caucus and party members would be a welcome outcome.

"I think the more people that are involved in having a say in selecting the Labor Party leader the better," he said.

Labor Senator Doug Cameron has told 7.30 that he does not know whether Mr Albanese will run for the leadership, but says he would make an excellent leader.

"Anthony needs the time to make his determination, and he'll do that in good time," Senator Cameron said on Thursday night.

He also rejected criticism of the party's new rules for choosing the leader.

Labor Senator Stephen Conroy has said it would be a "farce" and make Labor a "laughing stock" if a ballot was held between two candidates - a process that could potentially take about a month.

But Senator Cameron says he could not disagree more, adding he was in the United Kingdom in 2010 when there was a leadership ballot for the Labour Party.

"It was a fantastic process, it was talking about policy, it was talking about values, it was talking about vision and it engaged the rank and file members of the Labour Party in the UK.

"Our members should have the same right here."

In the Liberals' party room today, Tony Abbott will be re-endorsed as leader, a formality before he is sworn-in as Prime Minister next week.

The Nationals will hold a ballot for their deputy and Senate leader.

Topics: government-and-politics, political-parties, alp, abbott-tony, anthony-albanese, canberra-2600, act, australia

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