Last modified on Mon 24 May 2021 03.03 EDT
The federal opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has batted away concerns over NSW Laborâs result in the Upper Hunter byelection, calling for âperspectiveâ as Joel Fitzgibbon threatens to quit the party unless it better connects with blue-collar workers.
After Fitzgibbon agitated over the partyâs climate and energy policies, his federal colleague, Pat Conroy, called on him to âshut upâ, saying his constant criticism was âsingularly unhelpfulâ and damaging the ALPâs standing.
Saturdayâs result prompted soul-searching over NSW Laborâs direction under the party leader, Jodi McKay, but Albanese said the outcome reflected state issues and had no federal implications.