Shorten’s ALP preselection demand lost on Left

BILL Shorten told the ALP’s National Executive he wanted it to take over preselections in Victoria in order “that the efforts of all sitting MPs and candidates should be wholly focused on campaigning to win the next federal election.” It seems however that somebody forgot to tell the Socialist Left, writes James Campbell.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. AAP Image/Darren England

LAST week Bill Shorten told the ALP’s National Executive he wanted it to take over preselections in Victoria in order “that the efforts of all sitting MPs and candidates should be wholly focused on campaigning to win the next federal election.”

The move largely driven by scaremongering from Senator Kim Carr and his Socialist Left faction that despite assurance to the contrary, the Right and its rising powerbroker Adem Somyurek was planning on using their numbers to replace Julian Hill in Bruce and pinch the empty seat of Jaga Jaga.

Adem Somyurek. Picture: Tony Gough

The message from Shorten when the preselections were called in was clear: all sitting members were to be re-endorsed.

It seems however that somebody forgot to tell the Socialist Left this was supposed to apply to them because yesterday they executed one of their own — Senator Gavin Marshall.

That Marshall had big problems with elements of his own faction was well known.

Indeed he flagged them himself almost two years ago when he said publicly he was planning on going after the preselection of Andrew Giles, the member for Scullin.

Marshall was angry then because he believed Giles had been disloyal to Carr.

Senator Gavin Marshall.

But even though the drums had been beating for Marshall for a while, those close to Shorten say he was blindsided by the move, largely because Carr had reassured him he had the situation under control.

“He’s lost control of the Left — that’s clear,” was how one senior federal Labor source explained it.

Technically Marshall hasn’t been shot — he’s still on the ticket in the Number 3 position — but the last Labor candidate to get elected to the Senate from that spot was David Feeney in 2007. And even that was a bit of a fluke — the ALP has only twice managed to get three Senators elected in Victoria at a half-senate election since the Keating Government was defeated in 1996.

Marshall talked big about getting Andrew Giles but yesterday he was the one getting whacked not Andrew Giles.

And his good mate Kim Carr? He wasn’t at the meeting.