Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s record election win was underpinned by a shallow base of support, and the government’s huge majority could quickly vanish due to the fragile state of modern Labor, the party’s president has warned.
The frank admission by Wayne Swan has fuelled what the former treasurer labelled an urgent mission to increase the party’s membership from the low 50,000s – fewer than all but two AFL teams – to 65,000 over the next four years.
Labor’s powerful national executive quietly launched a new party reform agenda after the record 94-seat win at the May election. Labor won the election with a 34.5 per cent primary vote – just 2 points greater than its lowest vote in generations. The Coalition’s primary vote collapsed to 31.8 per cent.
“Our victory this year was wide