Jane Garrett will get a Labor seat
LABOR factional heavyweights say they expect a deal will done over the weekend to end Labor’s Victorian preselection brawl that will see former emergency services minister Jane Garrett given a seat in state parliament.
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LABOR factional heavyweights say they expect a deal will be done over the weekend to end the Victorian preselection brawl that will see former emergency services minister Jane Garrett given a state parliament seat.
It last night emerged that Natalie Suleyman, the state member for St Albans, could be catapulted into the new federal seat of Fraser to make way for Ms Garrett.
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At Bill Shorten’s request, Labor’s national executive met yesterday and took over the state’s federal preselections, with a deadline of Monday for candidates to nominate.
The future of Ms Garrett, presently without a seat in state parliament, has become the main sticking point preventing a federal preselection deal that would satisfy all factional leaders.
Mr Shorten, the Opposition Leader, who yesterday revealed he would be staying in his seat of Maribyrnong and not moving to Fraser, has made it clear he wants Ms Garrett accommodated.
A senior Victorian powerbroker said it was now “more than likely she will end up in a Lower House seat”.
The powerbroker said Mr Shorten would prefer Fraser be given to his former staffer Daniel Mulino, now a member of Victoria’s Upper House.
But if Mr Mulino is not prepared to accept the offer the seat will be given another state MP — likely to be Ms Suleyman — in order make way for Ms Garrett.
“We might just have to hold our nose,” a senior federal MP said.
Mr Shorten had considered moving to the newly created Fraser in northwest Melbourne at the urging of colleagues. Fraser takes in about 30 per cent of Mr Shorten’s constituents including Braybrook, Kealba, North Sunshine and St Albans.
In a letter to branch members Mr Shorten had he had thought “long and hard”.
“This is not an easy decision. However, as the majority of voters from the old Maribyrnong electorate will still reside in the new boundaries, I advise you of my intention to nominate as the candidate for the federal seat of Maribyrnong,” Mr Shorten wrote.
“In addition my family’s home is in the new seat of Maribyrnong. This weighed heavily on my decision.”
Originally published as Jane Garrett will get a Labor seat