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Sam Dastyari Says He's Shorten's 'Biggest Fan' Amid Leadership Rumors

He says he's always been on board Bill's bus.
Senator Sam Dastyari Labor leader Bill Shorten's ever watchful face.
Alex Ellinghausen / Fairfax Media
Senator Sam Dastyari Labor leader Bill Shorten's ever watchful face.

Labor senator Sam Dastyari has declared he's Bill Shorten's biggest fan after long-running rumors resurfaced there was a group secretly backing Anthony Albonese as leader.

"There is no bigger Bill Shorten supporter or fan anywhere in the country right now," Dastyari said in Sydney on Friday.

"Bill Shorten will continue to be the leader of the Labor Party and I believe will be the leader of the Labor Party as the prime minister of Australia."

Leadership rumblings have long-followed Albanese, forcing him to declare in May 2015 "I'm not available. We have a leader" back when Tony Abbott was Prime Minister.

They resurfaced two day before the federal election with a Sydney Morning Herald report claiming left-leaning Labor MPs would challenge Shorten's leadership if he didn't gain 10 seats.

The Daily Telegraph reported Dastyari had "openly canvassed the prospect of supporting Mr Albanese into the leadership should Mr Shorten not get a good enough result tomorrow".

Dastyari put rumours to rest, saying: "My five-year-old daughter has been making TV ads for Bill Shorten".

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