Albanese vows to end Labor’s class-war rhetoric, by Simon Benson.

Anthony Albanese, who is poised to take over the Labor leadership as soon as today, has vowed to ­return a traumatised party to a Hawke-era pro-growth economic policy model, reopen the door to business and abandon the class-war politics that threatened to ­divide the nation.

Mr Albanese yesterday emerged as the most likely successor to Bill Shorten after Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen pulled out of the race, having launched his bid less than 24 hours earlier. …

In an exclusive interview, Mr Albanese, who narrowly lost to Mr Shorten in the 2013 leadership contest, flagged a review of all Labor’s tax policies in the face of a vulnerable global economy, and said he would move immediately to drop the party’s anti-business posture. “The language used was terrible … unions and employers have a common interest. Successful businesses are a precondition for employing more workers, and that is obvious,” the NSW left-wing powerbroker said in a blunt assessment of Labor’s failed ­campaign. …

Back to the center:

Despite once famously describing his political mission in life as “fighting Tories”, Mr Albanese said his membership of the Left faction had no bearing on what ­direction he would take the party.

He gave an unequivocal commitment to steer the party back to the policy centre, which had provided the ballast for 13 years of Labor government under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

Excellent news. The Australian left is not making the mistake of the US left after the Trump win — refusing to accept his win, and subverting the bureaucracy and media. Or the mistake of the globalists after Brexit — trying to organize a “Brexit” that permanently makes Britain beholden to the EU, i.e. massively subverting Brexit.

Instead the Australian left is learning from the experience and changing their approach. Even better, they want to emulate Hawke — who in my opinion was the best Australian PM in my lifetime.

Although, knowing Anthony Albanese — whom I knew from political circles at university — class warfare rhetoric once came easy to him. Still, people change.

More from Greg Brown:

Anthony Albanese says all of Labor’s policies — including its 45 per cent emissions target — will be reviewed if he becomes party leader.

“We will look at all of our policies. What we won’t look at is our values. They are eternal the Labor values. They do change over time but our commitment to working people and lifting living standards does not,” Mr Albanese told Sky News this morning.