Anthony Albanese’s iron grip on the Labor Party is disintegrating in real time.

Just 72 hours after senior Coalition figures publicly clashed over emissions targets and net-zero timelines, what many in the press gallery had breathlessly labelled “the final fracture of the Dutton-Littleproud alliance” has been exposed as little more than political theatre — a convenient distraction carefully amplified by Labor strategists to divert attention from the civil war now raging inside their own ranks.

Multiple sources inside Parliament House have confirmed that at least nine Labor backbenchers — representing marginal and outer-suburban seats across Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia — held an unsanctioned crisis meeting late yesterday evening. According to two MPs who spoke on condition of anonymity, the mood was “mutinous”. Several members openly demanded the Prime Minister consider stepping aside before the next election, warning that current polling trends point toward a catastrophic wipeout similar in scale to the 1996 Keating defeat or the 2013 Rudd-Gillard-Rudd bloodbath.

“He’s lost the room,” one long-serving MP told this outlet. “The talking points don’t work anymore. People are scared they’ll lose their seats because Anthony keeps doubling down on policies the public hates — Voice-style symbolism, open-ended migration settings, and climate promises that are bleeding regional seats dry. We told him straight: either change course or make way for someone who can.”

Another MP was even more blunt: “The Coalition split story was useful for about 48 hours. Now everyone sees it was a mirage. While we were laughing at Littleproud and Dutton arguing over 2035 targets, our own party is tearing itself apart. Anthony’s approval in key seats is underwater. He either pivots hard or we’ll have to force the issue.”

The Prime Minister’s reaction inside caucus this morning was reportedly one of visible panic followed by fury. Witnesses say Albanese’s face went from pale to flushed crimson as speaker after speaker rose to express “serious concern” about the direction of the government. When one MP suggested a leadership spill might be the only way to “reset voter trust before it’s too late,” the Prime Minister is said to have slammed his folder on the table and stormed out of the room, leaving deputy leader Richard Marles to try to calm the situation.

Outside the caucus room, the body language told its own story. Albanese avoided the press gallery entirely — a rare move for a leader who normally relishes confrontation. Instead, a terse one-paragraph statement was issued through his office:

“The Government remains focused on delivering for working Australians. We do not comment on internal party discussions.”

That silence has only fuelled the fire.

Senior Labor figures are now openly briefing against the Prime Minister. One cabinet minister told The Australian on background: “Anthony’s problem is not policy — it’s authenticity. Voters no longer believe he’s listening. They see a leader surrounded by inner-city advisors who’ve never lived in a mortgage belt or a regional town. The disconnect is terminal.”

The Coalition “split” narrative — which dominated headlines for most of last week — has collapsed under scrutiny. Fresh audio obtained by this outlet reveals that David Littleproud and Peter Dutton had already privately agreed to park their differences on 2035 emissions targets until after the next election. The public spat, insiders now admit, was deliberately allowed to play out so Labor could run distraction pieces claiming “the Coalition is in chaos”. That strategy has backfired spectacularly.

While Labor MPs were busy celebrating the supposed fracture, the Resolve Political Monitor released numbers that should have sent alarm bells ringing through the Lodge: Labor primary vote 31% (down 4 points in a fortnight), Coalition 36%, One Nation 14% (highest ever recorded), Greens 13%. Two-party preferred is now effectively deadlocked at 50–50 — a catastrophic collapse from Labor’s 54–46 lead just six months ago.

Pauline Hanson wasted no time capitalising. In a fiery doorstop this afternoon she declared: “Australians are not stupid. They see Labor panicking, they see the Coalition pretending to fight, and they’re turning to the only party that’s been consistent from day one. We’re not here to play nice with the elites — we’re here to put Australians first. Immigration. Cost of living. Borders. Housing. That’s what people care about. And that’s what One Nation will fight for.”

The shift is seismic. In outer-suburban and regional seats once considered safe Labor territory — Longman, Blair, Leichhardt, Lingiari, Hunter — One Nation is now polling between 18–22% on first preferences. Preference flows from disaffected Liberal and National voters could hand Hanson’s candidates the decisive edge in a three-way contest.

Inside the Labor caucus, the mood is grim. One MP summed it up in a single line: “We thought we could ride out the cost-of-living wave. We were wrong. And now the immigration numbers are biting, the energy prices are biting, and people are looking at Pauline and saying ‘she’s the only one who’s been honest’.”

Albanese’s inner circle is reportedly in crisis meetings tonight. Options on the table include a major reshuffle, a dramatic pivot on migration caps, and — according to one source — “serious discussions about leadership stability”. Whether those discussions include a spill remains unclear, but the fact they are even happening is itself extraordinary for a government only three and a half years into its first term.

The elite’s excuses are wearing thin. Patriots are waking up. And the pressure on Anthony Albanese is about to boil over.

Australia is watching. The silent majority is no longer silent.

And the next election — once considered Labor’s to lose — now looks very much up for grabs.