Labor at war: MPs defect over ‘poor treatment, leadership threat’

The opposition is divided over the defection of two MPs and possibly a third amid claims of an internal power struggle and threat to Steven Miles’s backer Gary Bullock.

Gary Bullock in the crowd at Premier Steven Miles’ party launch ahead of the 2024 state election. Pic: Adam Head.

Union heavyweight Gary Bullock’s stranglehold over state Labor could be under threat as a rival union lures MPs in a move that threatens to spark a major war within the party.

In a significant coup for the Left faction that has rocked the infant Labor opposition, two Right MPs shocked colleagues by defecting to the Left.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Corrine McMillan and Jennifer Howard were lured to the Left with help from Together Union state secretary Alex Scott.

Sources say Mr Scott, who did not return calls, has been “hellbent on replacing Blocker (Mr Bullock) as the leader of the Left”.

Old Guard MP Jonty Bush could become the third defector and was understood to be considering her future on Sunday.

Labor MP Jonty Bush. Source: Supplied.

The Left claims the defection of Ms McMillan and Ms Howard was due to poor treatment they experienced in the Right faction.

However, the Right argues Mr Scott is building an informal “Together Union faction” in the Left to counter the power of United Workers’ Union boss Mr Bullock.

Mr Bullock was instrumental in forcing Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation as Premier and anointing Steven Miles her successor.

The defection of Ms McMillan and Ms Howard – who were contacted for comment – has been labelled a blow to Right faction leader and Deputy Premier Cameron Dick.

One Labor source argued the defections were a long-time coming, with Ms McMillan attempting to leave for some time while Ms Howard was unhappy with a lack of support following her disastrous preselection challenge against Federal Labor MP Shayne Neumann.

“They were sick of not being treated very well,” the source said.

Two faces of Labor. Qld Opposition leader Steven Miles and Deputy Cameron Dick. Pic: Glenn Hampson.

However, another Labor source argued the two MPs were caught in an “internal power struggle” in the Left where Mr Scott was building a coalition to chip away at Mr Bullock – and in turn, Mr Miles’s leadership.

One argued Ms McMillan and Ms Howard – labelled “rats” per Labor tradition – were attempting to further their political careers.

“Ultimately it’s peoples’ ambition, just naked ambition,” they said.

Claims Mr Scott was attempting to replace Mr Blocker as the leader of the Left were denied by one source, who said it was not “so black and white”.

Ms Bush walked back threats made in December to quit the Labor Party over its support of the government’s Making Queensland Safer Laws.

The Old Guard MP, whose sister was murdered and father died after being punched in an unprovoked attack, pushed for Labor to vote against the controversial laws.

The defection of Ms Bush would give the Left 18 MPs compared to the Right’s 12 and Old Guard’s five.

The Queensland factional war comes ahead of a must-win federal election and months after a bruising defeat at the state election.

Originally published as Labor at war: MPs defect over ‘poor treatment, leadership threat’