I won’t be putting my hand up for the leadership of the Australian Labor Party this time around.
 
I want to thank the many parliamentary colleagues, branch members, activists, and people from the broader labour movement and from communities right around Australia who contacted me and urged me to run on a platform of generational change.
 
I have been genuinely surprised by the magnitude of their support and encouragement and I hope I haven’t let them down in making this decision.
 
I gave it very careful consideration and I didn’t take it lightly. There were good reasons to run. But in the end I couldn’t be assured of winning, and if I did win the extra responsibilities of leadership would make it much harder to do my bit at home while the youngest of our three little kids is only five months old.
 
I do want to play a substantial role in rebuilding, renewing and refreshing our Party and its policies after Saturday’s stinging defeat, and as a Queenslander I want the best state in Australia to have a more prominent voice in the alternative government.
 
I spoke to Anthony Albanese this morning and told him I will enthusiastically support him and work tirelessly with our team to give Australians the Labor Government they need and deserve at the next opportunity.