Anthony Albanese declared he'd put his name forward to be federal Labor leader and then decided a beer should be his next move.
A self-declared man of the people, Mr Albanese lost an historic leadership ballot to Bill Shorten in 2013, despite winning the vote with grassroots members.
"What you see is what you get with me, for better or worse," the NSW MP and stalwart South Sydney rugby league supporter told reporters.
"I'm a bit rough at the edges but I think that Australians don't want someone who just utters talking points
"So, from time to time, I won't be as articulate as someone reading from a script."
The venue chosen for Mr Albanese's announcement that he would contest the Labor leadership was typical, the Unity Hall Hotel in Balmain within his safe seat of Grayndler.
Mr Albanese has held the seat in inner Sydney since 1996 and is now a leading figure in the party's Left faction.
He said he was someone who could take on the other side of politics in a "vigorous fashion".
"I think Australians know me," he said.
"I sometimes get things wrong. If I do that, I'll say that that's the case."
However, he declined multiple opportunities to state directly how he would have run Labor's campaign differently if he'd been leader.
"No one could have worked harder for the cause of Labor and for the election of a Labor government than Bill Shorten," Mr Albanese said.
"I have the utmost respect for Bill Shorten and you'll see no criticism of him from me."
And when the business was complete, Mr Albanese was at the bar buying the beers.
