'Thanks for the advice mate': Anthony Albanese has a stinging comeback for former Queensland premier after being accused of sitting on the fence about Adani
- Labor leader Anthony Albanese was accused of sitting on the fence about Adani
- He was called out by outspoken former Queensland premier Campbell Newman
- The leader hit back with piercing remark about Newman's history in government
Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese fired back with a stinging remark to a former Queensland premier after he was accused of sitting on the fence about Adani coal mine.
The left-wing leader was called out by Campbell Newman while he visited Queensland this week as he tried to win back voters in the sunshine state.
The outspoken former politician slammed Mr Albanese for refusing to back the project, which was a hot election issue and may have even cost Labor the win.
Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese fired back with a stinging remark to a former Queensland premier after he was accused of sitting on the fence about Adani coal mine
Campbell Newman (Pictured with wife Lisa Newman) called out Mr Albanese for refusing to back the project, which was a hot election issue and may have even cost Labor the win
'If you are visiting Qld today and you can't bring yourself to totally & unequivocally back our coal industry and support then you & the ALP have not listened,' he shared on Twitter.
But Mr Albanese hit back fast with a piercing remark about Mr Newman's history in government.
'Thanks for the advice mate but you went from 78 seats to 42 in one term including losing your own seat and @QLDLabor went from 7 into Govt #JustSaying'
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The newly elected leader has been tasked with winning back areas of northern and central Queensland that deserted Labor during the Federal Election over the controversial mine.
With mining jobs vital in some parts of the state, Mr Albanese has been under pressure to declare whether or not he believes Adani's proposed Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin stacks up economically.
But the Sydney-based MP has insisted that iss not his job.
He told ABC radio politicians do not decide whether mines are built, markets do.
War of words: The outspoken former politician slammed Mr Albanese for refusing to back the project, which was a hot election issue and may have even cost Labor the win
'What it’s up to governments to do is to give environmental approvals. That’s happened of course at the federal level. At the state level, that’s being considered.'
Mr Albanese was named the party leader this week after Mr Shorten resigned from the top job in the wake of the humiliating election defeat.
The 56-year-old former deputy prime minister had a clear run for the Labor leadership following the withdrawal of fellow inner-Sydney Left-faction frontbencher Tanya Plibersek, who had been Mr Shorten's deputy for six years.
The 23-year member for Grayndler, in Sydney's inner-west, also had no competition from Labor's Right faction, after outgoing shadow treasurer Chris Bowen pulled out of the leadership race.
Mr Albanese's ascension to the Labor leadership has occurred almost six years after Mr Shorten defeated him, under new rules whereby rank-and-file party members were given a say.
Mr Albanese briefly served as deputy prime minister under Kevin Rudd between June and September 2013.
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