Anthony Albanese has taken to Brisbane his fight to be leader of the federal Labor party, touting his loyalty as why he's the best man for the job.
Promising a civil contest with Bill Shorten, Mr Albanese on Wednesday landed a solid blow against his right faction powerbroker opponent, who was instrumental in ending the prime ministerships of both Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
"We should not be shy about defending the interests of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard and I am in a position to do both because I was loyal to both," Mr Albanese told a supportive crowd at The Melbourne Hotel in Brisbane's West End.
"I woke up each and every day and did my best for the cause of Labor. I didn't engage in internal shenanigans."
Under the banner "vision, unity and strength" Mr Albanese kicked off his campaign roadshow in Sydney on Tuesday and plans to be in Melbourne on Thursday as he seeks support from rank and file Labor members for an upcoming leadership ballot.
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Under new party rules a candidate must secure 50 per cent support from both grass roots members and caucus.
The former deputy prime minister, who is MP for the Sydney seat of Grayndler, cites his long parliamentary career including time in opposition as a solid grounding for taking on the leadership.
