Labor is mocked after posing for a cringeworthy 'government' portrait before being humiliated in the 'unlosable' election - in a bungle VERY similar to one Hillary Clinton made
- Liberals have seized on a Labor leadership's Suits-style picture
- 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
The Coalition has seized on Labor's 'hubris' by mocking a photograph of Bill Shorten and his team proclaiming they were 'ready' for government.
Chris Bowen - who today announced his candidacy for the leadership - posted a well-lit photograph of Labor's core ministerial team prior to the party's defeat.
'We're ready,' Mr Bowen captioned an image of himself with Mr Shorten and key advisers Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong and Jim Chalmers.
Chris Bowen posted this Nine newspapers photograph of himself, Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek, Penny Wong and Bill Shorten
Triumphant Liberal MP Alex Hawke used the post to mock the 'hubris' of the Labor party.
Mr Hawke published the definition of the word to his Facebook page - that being 'extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence'.
Share this article
Mr Bowen's spokesman was approached for comment.
Social media comments compared the post to those of US presidential election loser Hillary Clinton ('might have to rename him Hillary').
Her Twitter account described her as the 'future president', barely a week before she lost the election to Donald Trump.
Mrs Clinton's critics mocked this post after surprise election loss in November 2016
Chris Bowen announcing his candidacy outside his parents' weatherboard home
Like Mrs Clinton, the Labor party had some reason to think it was going to win the election, having won virtually every opinion poll since 2016, including the final surveys.
Mr Bowen today announced he will run for the Labor leadership against Anthony Albanese, who he described as a 'friend of mine'.
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.
Mr Bowen said he was 'devastated' by the result at the weekend and the party's policies in the future are 'a blank canvas'.
'No political party ever takes to the next election, exactly the same policies they took to the last. That would be dumb. They all have to be reviewed. It's a blank canvas.'
Triumphant Liberal MP Alex Hawke used the post to mock the 'hubris' of the Labor party
But he said: 'What I didn't wake up thinking on Sunday morning is that all of a sudden, the tax system is now fair.
'I didn't wake up suddenly on Sunday morning thinking that we don't need to spend any more money on health and education.
'I didn't wake up on Sunday morning thinking that we should no longer need to worry about giving first home buyers a go.'
Standing outside the weatherboard home where he grew up, Mr Bowen reflected on how his mother was a childcare worker and his father a shift worker at the NRMA.
He said the party deserved a choice between him and Mr Albanese, who he described as a great friend.
'I think that the party deserves contest. I think that the party deserves choice. It deserves to hear competing ideas.
'I think it would be wrong of me not to provide that choice to the party. I believe in growth and opportunity, economic growth.
'I believe in reconnecting with the suburbs like this and the regions. I believe in connecting with people from all walks of life - manufacturing workers for example.'
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
The race is on: Anthony Albanese (left, from the Left faction) and Chris Bowen (right, from the Right faction) will contest the Labor leadership
Possible leadership contenders: Jim Chalmers (left) and Joel Fitzgibbon (right)
Mr Bowen's announcement will come after Tanya Plibersek decided to run at the weekend but then changed her mind and ruled herself out of the race.
'Now is not the time,' Ms Plibersek said, citing her family responsibilities, including to her eight-year-old son.
Ms Plibersek had already won a high-profile endorsement from former prime minister Julia Gillard and claims she had support to be leader.
Mr Albanese is now the firm favourite for the job after Mr Shorten narrowly pipped him to the role in 2013.
Mr Albanese said the party needs to have a look at its policies.
'There are issues that need re-examining,' he told ABC's 7:30 on Monday night.
'One of the things that I'm not going to do, if I'm elected as leader of the Labor Party, is to make policy on the run. I'll talk with the caucus, we'll consult.'
Other possible leadership contenders include former Defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon and the party's finance spokesman Jim Chalmers.
Mr Fitzgibbon, from NSW's Hunter region, said he may run.
'Some may say I'm getting a bit old but I won't rule myself out,' he said on breakfast television this morning.
Meanwhile, Mr Chalmers said: 'I'm considering it. I'm talking to my colleagues about it.'
Bill Shorten resigned as Labor leader on Saturday night immediately after it became clear he had led the party to a catastrophic defeat.
The defeat was particularly shocking as Mr Shorten's party had won virtually every opinion poll since 2016.
The Coalition was re-elected and is projected to have won a majority in the House of Representatives.
