Mr Albanese has poured cold water on any expectations of a swift change to the party policies, suggesting to colleagues it could take until 2021 for new policies to be prepared ahead of the next election.

But his speech to the Tuesday caucus meeting makes it clear there will be substantial change, in line with a call from Labor climate change spokesman Mark Butler on Monday for a “ruthless” review of the mistakes in last election campaign.

While Labor awaits a formal election review led by former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill, the federal caucus heard a dispute over the tactics to be taken on bills to be decided this fortnight.

Former minister and left faction leader Kim Carr urged the party to hold out against a government bill to impose criminal sanctions on activists who incite others to trespass on farms over issues such as animal welfare.

The amendments to the criminal code, known as the “agricultural protection” bill, came under fire from Senator Carr and upper house colleague Anthony Chisholm in a committee report last week where they rubbished the changes as “virtual signalling” to conservatives.

In line with that report, Senator Carr told the caucus on Tuesday that Labor should not capitulate to the government and should instead insist on substantial amendments to the bill.

Mr Albanese, a longtime factional rival of Senator Carr, rejected that approach.

“Trade unionists are part of our constituency, vegan terrorists are not,” Mr Albanese told colleagues.

When a second Labor MP also raised concerns about the animal activist bill, Labor Senate leader Penny Wong backed Mr Albanese.

“The argument that we are capitulating on major issues is a Greens’ tactic and we must take it on,” she told caucus.

The caucus decided to move amendments to the agriculture bill rather than block it.

A similar dispute is expected at the caucus meeting next week when Labor MPs may have to decide whether to support a government bill to impose mandatory criminal penalties on people found guilty of child sex offences.

Mr Albanese argued Labor was standing up for its core principles by demanding an increase in the Newstart allowance, an indigenous voice to Parliament, a national integrity commission and the removal of “robodebt” penalties on welfare recipients.

He also said the party had voted the right way on income tax cuts worth $158 billion over a decade when those changes were passed in July.

“There is nothing Labor about voting against putting more money in the pockets of cleaners,” he said.