Anthony Albanese puts his hat into the ring for Labor leadership How long until Labor finds a leader? MP Amanda Rishworth explains the Labor Party's leadership selection process as MPs gather in Canberra Friday. PT1M18S http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2tosz 620 349 September 13, 2013 - 12:43PM Former deputy prime minister Anthony Albanese has officially nominated himself to become leader of the Labor Party. Mr Albanese will compete against the only other contender Bill Shorten for the Labor leadership. Under the new rules proposed by outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the leadership will be decided by a vote in the caucus and a poll of thousands of party members. Labor leadership nominee Bill Shorten Photo: Andrew Meares Former treasurer Chris Bowen will be acting leader while the leadership is being decided over the next 30 days. Addressing a press conference in Canberra on Friday, Mr Albanese described himself as the "personification of what the Labor Party can achieve in terms of changing peoples' lives." Mr Albanese said that as a child who grew up in a council flat in Camperdown with a mother on a disability pension, he understood what Labor governments could achieve. Labor leadership nominee Anthony Albanese Photo: Andrew Meares "I had access to education due to great reforms of Labor governments," Mr Albanese said. "I believe it is only the Labor Party that looks after the long-term national interest," he added. The former deputy prime minister said he was nominating himself for the leadership because he thought he was the best person to give Labor a chance of winning the next election. He said he had experience across a broad range of portfolios, including infrastructure, transport, regional development and broadband, and as the government's leader of the house, had navigated the Gillard government through the "most difficult [Parliament] since federation." Labor should not be relentlessly negative during its time in opposition because new Prime Minister Tony Abbott did too much of that, Mr Albanese said. He promised that if he became leader he would promote positive policy ideas, and try to identify "what is the next NBN." As Mr Shorten did on Thursday when he announced his candidacy and praised Mr Albanese, the former deputy prime minister had kind words for his competitor. "Bill's a friend of mine," Mr Albanese said. He would make a very good leader. Caucus to vote in 'blind ballot' Earlier on Friday, Mr Albanese told the caucus meeting in Canberra his vision for Australia involved a "fair go for all." Mr Shorten told the caucus they must end the public disparagement and the infighting that has so frequently spilled into the media in the past six years. Labor must work as a team again, Mr Shorten said, according to a source inside the Labor caucus. "Both very nice to each each other, pledge loyalty to whoever wins," the Labor MP said. Both welcome ballot, grow party, defend legacy, new ideas. In a press conference shortly after the caucus meeting, acting leader Mr Bowen said he would work in the next month to ensure Tony Abbott was held to account. He said that he would not be endorsing either Mr Albanese or Mr Shorten for leadership ahead of the caucus vote. Under the new rules for the leadership ballot, as many as 40,000 party members will vote first. Caucus will then vote in a "blind ballot" without knowledge of the result of the member vote. The caucus and party members will each have a 50 per cent say, and the candidate with the highest proportion of votes at the end will win. The party's national executive will work out final details next week. Mr Bowen said the vote could be conducted online or through postal voting, and this would be determined by the executive. During the caucus meeting there was no mention of the deputy leadership, though it is understood that the favourite would be former health minister Tanya Plibersek, if Mr Shorten is elected leader. If Mr Albanese wins the leadership ballot, Ms Plibersek would not be deputy given both are from NSW and from the Left faction. Labor MPs who held portfolios in government will remain in those positions for the time being. Victorian MP Richard Marles, who currently holds the trade portfolio, has also been appointed opposition defence spokesman after outoing minister Stephen Smith retired at the election. "The Labor Party has a choice between two very good candidates," Mr Bowen said. Today the Labor Party begins the process of becoming a bigger, more transparent, more open, more democratic party. Rudd thanks Labor MPs During the caucus meeting, Mr Rudd thanked everyone for their roles in the campaign. "It was how Chris Bowen beat Joe Hockey at every turn, how Tony Burke got on top of his [asylum seeker] brief early," a source inside caucus said. Mr Rudd said he bore no malice to those who had said negative things about him over the past few days. He said it was time to move on and get on with holding the Abbott government to account. In his press conference, Mr Bowen said a unanimous motion was moved in caucus thanking Mr Rudd and his wife Therese Rein for their service to the party. He described Mr Rudd's speech as "moving" and "inspirational," and rejected the suggestion that the former prime minister should quit politics for the good of the Labor Party. "Kevin has indicated he will be returning to the backbench," Mr Bowen said. He should be given the respect afforded to former leaders of the Labor Party and to former prime ministers. Mr Rudd should "take his own good time to make that decision," Mr Bowen said.