Kristina Keneally’s disaster loss spells ‘wake up call’ for Labor, party figures say
Parachuting Kristina Keneally into the seat of Fowler was ‘clearly a mistake’ that delivered a ‘huge loss’ to the Labor party, according to the local lawyer blocked from running for the seat by Anthony Albanese’s captain’s pick.
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Parachuting Kristina Keneally into the seat of Fowler was “clearly a mistake” that delivered a “huge loss” to the Labor party, according to the local lawyer blocked from running for the seat by Anthony Albanese’s captain’s pick.
“We have to learn from this and move on,” Vietnamese-Australian lawyer Tu Le said.
Ms Le said the dramatic loss sent a message that the local community cannot be taken for granted.
She said Labor needs to learn that parachuting candidates with “absolutely zero connection to the local community” is a recipe for failure.
Ms Le also said it was a “huge loss” to lose Ms Keneally from politics.
“I think she still had some time and a big contribution to make,” she said.
“I think it is unfortunate that this strategic mistake cost us the seat of Fowler and Kristina Keneally in the senate,” she said.
Ms Le was the candidate preferred by outgoing MP Chris Hayes who created the vacancy in Fowler.
Mr Hayes on Sunday said that he had made it clear last year that he was supporting Ms Le, but head office “took a different view”.
“The rest is history,” he said.
Ms Keneally’s political career is in tatters after voters dramatically rejected the former Premier turned Senator.
The imminent loss has sparked an admission from Labor sources that the NSW arm of the party can no longer use preselections in safe seats to solve internal factional disputes.
Labor insiders yesterday privately conceded that Ms Keneally would lose the seat, despite the party’s deputy leader Richard Marles saying on Sunday morning that it was too close to call.
Local independent Dai Le looked set to claim victory in Fowler on Sunday, demolishing former Labor member Chris Hayes’ 14 per cent margin.
Ms Keneally had suffered a swing against her of more than 18 per cent according to the votes counted by Sunday afternoon.
Ms Keneally was parachuted in as Labor’s candidate for Fowler in order to keep her in parliament after she was booted from a winnable position on the Senate ticket.
Labor sources yesterday said the result was a “wake up call”.
“This is a real lesson that if you allow internal considerations to take over it’s never a good outcome,” one said.
Another was privately scathing of the decision to parachute Ms Keneally into Liverpool from Scotland Island calling it an “unmitigated disaster”.
Party sources believed Ms Keneally became “a lightning rod” for concerns about local representation.
Losing Fowler would effectively end Ms Keneally’s political career, sources said yesterday.
Ms Keneally’s loss leaves the Home Affairs portfolio vacant in incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ministry, and opens up another cabinet position for the NSW Right faction.
Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain was mentioned as being in line for a promotion to fill the NSW Right cabinet position vacated by Ms Keneally. A Labor source said Ms McBain “ticked a lot of boxes” as a “smart woman in a regional seat”.
Pre-poll and postal ballots remained to be counted on Sunday but Labor sources believed clawing back a majority in Fowler was almost impossible.
The independent Ms Le stopped short of claiming victory but said the result showed Labor “failed to understand this community”.
Talking to The Telegraph on Sunday morning, the independent said she was “still in a daze”.
She said she reflected on Saturday night about how far she has come after fleeing war-torn Saigon in 1975 as a child.
“Did I ever imagine this when we escaped Vietnam on a boat? Thinking I could be elected into parliament, and not with any major party, but on the community’s back,” Ms Le said.
It came as newly-elected Labor member for Reid, Sally Sitou, conceded her party needed to “reflect” on the parachuting of Kristina Keneally into Fowler.
“There ought to be a place for people from different backgrounds in our parliament and (it’s) something that the Labor Party should really think about,” she said.
One NSW Liberal quipped that Ms Keneally’s loss took a “real special effort”.
“It takes real talent that while Labor won government from Opposition, Kristina Keneally found a way to lose a seat Labor has never lost before,” the Liberal said.
Ms Keneally did not return The Daily Telegraph’s calls on Sunday.
However on Sky News’ election broadcast, before the Fowler result was clear, Ms Keneally said a “rise of independents” had impacted both major parties.
“People are interested in putting their votes other than the two major parties,” she said.
“I think in the days and weeks ahead we will have to look at what’s gone on here in Fowler as well as in other seats around the country,” Ms Keneally told Sky News.
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