Graham Richardson says he was surprised by Joel Fitzgibbon’s decision to quit shadow cabinet amid ongoing tensions over the party’s climate policy.

The former Labor Senator told Deborah Knight he agrees that Labor will lose the next election if they continue to turn their back on coal.

“If this is what is required to shake up the Labor party into realising that coal is going to be around for a very long time and we have to stop pretending that renewables are the answer,” Mr Richarson said.

“If it’s taken this to wake the Labor party up then I’m really sad.”

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