Local councils push Labor to honour full commitment to include them in national cabinet

But at the press conference on Friday, Albanese revealed that local government would be represented at just one national cabinet meeting a year despite national cabinet meeting at least four times a year.

Under Scott Morrison local council was invited once a year to the national federation reform council, which included both national cabinet and the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) as members.

Scott said local government should also be a full voting member of CFFR and participate in ministerial councils, including on climate change, energy, and housing.

The stoush over inclusion of local councils comes after Albanese backtracked on his previous strident criticism of national cabinet secrecy and refused to answer questions about why he had done so.