NSW Labor leadership: Push to make Chris Minns leader in days

Chris Minns could be crowned the new state Labor leader as early as next Tuesday with initial voting from party members starting this week.

Chris Minns could be crowned the new state Labor leader as early as next Tuesday with initial voting from party members starting this week.

The Labor Party caucus will meet on Friday, after the state funeral of Bob Fulton, where nominations for the leadership will be put forward.

If either of the likely leaders — Mr Minns or former party leader Michael Daley — do not receive 15 votes in caucus it will not go to the next stage of voting and the member who received 15 votes will become the leader.

Labor MP Chris Minns during a press conference announcing himself as a candidate for the NSW Labor leadership. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Mr Minns said he did not want people to think there would be more internal politics after next week.

“It is a democratic process we’ve had in the system for five years. I want to put my hand up, I’ve got an idea where the state should go and that the Labor Party should be more positive,” he told 2GB.

“I am worried that the people of this state think we’re focused on ourselves and we’re just navel-gazing and that we don’t care about them. If that keeps going, or that image persists then we’re in big trouble and in the 2023 (election) is a write-off.”

Mr Minns, who is the current member for Kogarah, said he wanted to get Labor “off the mat” and wanted to do this by investing in local manufacturing.

In a historical clip, broadcast on the program, the premier rationalised why her government had bought transport infrastructure from overseas.

“Australia and NSW are not good at building trains, that’s why we have to purchase them. If we didn’t buy those trains we would not be employing thousands of people to assemble and maintain them and drive them,” she said.

Mr Minns disputed these claims. He said they can look to WA as an example of how to revitalise the sector.

Surprising names back Minns for Labor leader

Two Labor frontbenchers will on Wednesday publicly throw support behind Chris Minns for the first time amid a growing caucus push to avoid a rank and file leadership ballot.

Upper house shadow ministers John Graham and Tara Moriarty have confirmed they will support Mr Minns in a leadership ballot – and it is significant because neither voted for him in his two prior attempts.

The declaration by the pair, who rarely speak publicly on matters of internal politics, signals significant momentum for Mr Minns and raises the question of whether his challenger, Michael Daley, will be able to secure the 15 signatures ­needed to nominate.

Chris Minns, who has the support of at least two colleagues for the NSW Labor leadership. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

It comes as Mr Minns will go to the Rooty Hill steel works on Wednesday to make a pitch about the importance of manu­facturing to provide middle-class jobs in the suburbs and regions.

In a statement, Mr Graham said: “Labor is lucky to have two good options for leader, but it is time for something new.”

Importantly, Mr Graham voted for Mr Daley in the 2018 leadership spill and retains a close relationship with him.

“Chris will have a sharp focus on our commuter belts and our suburbs. He deeply understands them,” he said.

Ms Moriarty said: “I’ll support Chris this time.

“We need to be united, we need to focus on the community, not ourselves.

“People in the suburbs and the regions need Labor to be about them, and about their ­issues”.

Signalling a key focus for his pitch to be leader, Mr Minns will on Wednesday call for the government to play a more active role to ensure that major projects don’t just mean new infrastructure but also new opportunities to grow local manufacturing.

Jodi McKay resigned as leader after the stinging Upper Hunter by-election loss.