Storm over ‘flawed’ ALP preselection vote to find a successor for Michael Danby

A LABOR meeting to vote for outgoing Federal MP Michael Danby’s successor in the crucial seat of Melbourne Ports has sparked claims of gender and religious discrimination, amid reports party members were locked out.

A LABOR meeting to vote for outgoing Federal MP Michael Danby’s successor in the crucial seat of Melbourne Ports has sparked claims of gender and religious discrimination, amid reports party members were locked out.

Glen Eira Labor councillor Mary Delahunty, who hopes to run for the marginal seat, says she has been discriminated against and locked out of the contest because of her gender and religious background.

A factional meeting to vote for the retiring MP’s successor in the seat, to be renamed Macnamara before the next election, was held last week.

Labor MP Michael Danby retirement has Liberals, Greens eyeing his Melbourne Ports seat

But the Leader understands it was attended by only a select group of 112 right faction members.

About 60 others, many in support of Cr Delahunty, were locked out of the event at Elsternwick RSL by security guards — with claims one man was pushed when he tried to get in.

Former Danby staffer Josh Burns won preferred candidacy for Macnamara, scoring 61 votes, followed by fellow candidates Nick Dyrefurth at 49 and Glen Eira councillor Mary Delahunty with 16 votes.

However Cr Delahunty said the “flawed” vote was skewed and should be disregarded by the national executive when a final decision is made.

Retiring MP Michael Danby disputes claims that he selected the invitees for the meeting.

Mary Delahunty says she is being discriminated against because of her gender and religion.

She says the invitee list was chosen by Mr Danby, something he disputes.

“The list was not representative of the municipality on a whole and 85 per cent were men, overwhelmingly older,” Cr Delahunty said.

“I have definitely been treated differently to the male candidates and comments have been made about whether I would receive more support (from the party) if I wasn’t a woman and was of different religious background.”

Along with Mark Dreyfus and Josh Frydenberg, Mr Danby is one of three Jewish members of the federal parliament.

Cr Delahunty will now put in a formal complaint about the “discriminatory treatment” she feels she’s received.

“All I can see is structures put in place, that are allowed to be in place, that materially disadvantage women,” she said.

“It’s become my personal mission to break them down for all women in the future.”

Fellow councillor Jim Magee was one of many told by guards he could not attend Thursday’s meeting because he “wasn’t on the invitee list”.

Cr Magee said people outside started shouting “let us in, let us in”, and claims one man was even shoved by a security guard after trying to push his way through the door.

“I’m all for a fair fight but they were clearly orchestrating an outcome and got it,” Cr Magee said.

“It’s appalling and if the ALP are going to decide on the candidate based on that vote, it must be known that Josh Burns is nowhere near the preferred candidate among the local community.”

Mr Danby declined to comment on people being locked out or pushed, but said a unanimous vote requesting an open preselection vote was declined by the national executive as “there was no time” before the imminent election.

“It was repeatedly stated at the meeting that the meeting or the vote had no official status but in the absence of a decision to hold an official preselection it did want to exert moral suasion on the ALP to hold such a vote,” Mr Danby said.

While long-serving Mr Danby retained the Melbourne Ports seat by a margin of 1.4 per cent at the 2016 election, the Liberals and the Greens have recorded a swing in the past two elections.

He announced his retirement in July after holding the seat since 1998.

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