SUBJECTS: Passing of Senator Kimberley Kitching.
 
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Well, pressure is mounting on Labor Leader Anthony Albanese into claims late Senator Kimberley Kitching was bullied by her ALP work colleagues. The Labor Leader joins us now from Marrickville in Sydney. Good morning. Great to see you.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Good morning, Karl, great to see you.
 
STEFANOVIC: Will you call an inquiry into Senator Kitching's claims or not?
 
ALBANESE: No, I won't, Karl. What I'll do is take the words from Bill Shorten at the funeral, which is that Kimberley Kitching would want us to move on and dedicate ourselves to a Labor victory at the election. This is a tragedy. This is a 52-year-old taken from us far too early. But in terms of going forward, we have an ongoing review of all of our internal processes. I did that between 2018 when we adopted processes. It was updated in 2021 unanimously. They're in place. If we can improve in any way those processes, I'm certainly happy to hear that.
 
STEFANOVIC: But no independent inquiry. The PM called you gutless yesterday. Are you?
 
ALBANESE: Well, this is a Prime Minister who went to Lismore and wouldn't talk to any of the flood victims. This is a Prime Minister who had his security shut off streets, so he doesn't have to talk to people. This is a Prime Minister who won't debate any issues in the Federal Parliament. This is a Prime Minister who refers things to the head of his department about what his office knew about issues related to Brittany Higgins. And we still haven't heard what his own office knew. Karl, there are, from time to time, argy-bargy in the Labor Party and the issue though over whether anyone's on the Tactics Committee, which I was excluded from, Joel Fitzgibbon was removed from, Chris Bowen was not reappointed and then put on later on. These are the normal things of politics. The one issue that I've heard an inappropriate comment made to Kimberley Kitching was apologised for and that was an appropriate action.
 
STEFANOVIC: There are still questions though. And look, I've thought about this a lot. You had essentially, Labor royalty holding Kimberley's hand as she lay dying. They want an inquiry and they're not getting it. Kimberley wasn't just Labor, she bled it. She went to her own, complained about bullying.
 
ALBANESE: That's not right, Karl.
 
STEFANOVIC: Kimberley went to complain about bullying. You fought for several other inquiries but you're not fighting for an inquiry inside your own Party. It doesn't make any sense to me. What are you afraid of?
 
ALBANESE: Karl, I'll be very clear. There were no complaints put in any formal sense at all about issues. The one issue that was raised was Kimberley's position on the Tactics Committee. From time the time on the Labor Party there's a lot more people want to be in the Cabinet, in the Outer Ministry, in Assistant Minister roles, on Tactics Committee. From time to time, Karl, I get representations probably once a fortnight about people in the Labor Party and people who want to advance. That is the issue that was raised with Richard Marles. Kimberley Kitching was making a contribution to the Senate.
 
STEFANOVIC: So, she never raised bullying with Richard Marles? She never raised any of that with Richard Marles?
 
ALBANESE: Karl, it is on the record that apparently there was a draft that was never given to Richard Marles or anyone else.
 
STEFANOVIC: Sorry, I want to clarify that. Kimberley never spoke to Richard Marles about bullying inside the Party?
 
ALBANESE: No, Kimberley Kitching spoke to Richard Marles about the Tactics Committee and whether she would be on the Tactics Committee. I wasn't a party to that conversation, Karl. There were only two people in the room. It's difficult for anyone, frankly, to comment on that. But what I know is that was about Kimberley's position on the Tactics Committee. She didn't want to be suspended from that. But from time to time, I mean Joel Fitzgibbon got removed from the Tactics Committee, put back on, removed again. I chaired the Tactics Committee, as you know, Karl, for a number of years. After 2013, I was not included in it. That was fine. That was a decision that was made. I was then put back on in 2016. People come in and out of these committees all of the time.
 
STEFANOVIC: Okay.
 
ALBANESE: Karl, all of the time.
 
STEFANOVIC: It's obviously separate but she made it known to either her inner circles or some members of the Labor Party that she was being bullied in a fairly significant way and nothing was done about it. And you're not going to do anything about it now even though there are still obvious questions.
 
ALBANESE: I'll be very clear, Karl.
 
STEFANOVIC: You told the electorate you'd be more accountable. This is what you told Fran Kelly last year:
 
GRAB OF ANTHONY ALBANESE ON RN BREAKFAST
 
STEFANOVIC: So, separate issues, but do you accept that action hasn't been taken when Labor heartland wants action to be taken?
 
ALBANESE: Karl, there was no complaint made. And I understand that people are grieving. This has been a really tough period for particularly her family and friends. I had a discussion with Andrew Landeryou on Monday. I got to meet Kimberley's parents. They're grieving. This is a tragedy, Karl. This is a tragedy. But in terms of moving forward, there was no complaint put in by Kimberley. My office is open to every member of the Caucus. I had a number of one-on-one meetings with Kimberley since I've been Leader. And at no stage was any issues raised with me. We have processes in place now, Karl. If we can improve those processes, I'm certainly up for it. But what I know, Karl, I'll put this to you. That there are other people now who are under enormous pressure. Do I have confidence in Penny Wong as Senate Leader? Yes, I do. And Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally are part of the solution. They're not part of the problem. We have moved towards 50 per cent representation of women. We've established cohesive processes. Unanimously adopted by the Caucus in 2021 and the ALP National Executive. They are all in place. Every single time that a complaint has been received, it has been dealt with. It has been dealt with appropriately, independent, at arm's length in a way that is transparent. Here we have a circumstance whereby tragically, Kimberley Kitching has died. It is a tragedy for everyone in the Labor family. That is one of the reasons why I've proposed a Kimberley Kitching human rights award going forward so that Kimberley's contribution on international human rights and on democracy can be recognised going forward.
 
STEFANOVIC: Look, a senior member of the Labor Party has suggested to her inner circle has suggested to her inner circle has been bullied. You didn't know about it. I don't know if there's a greater reason for an inquiry if the Leader didn't know about it. Anthony, thanks for your time to talk about it.
 
ENDS