Shannon Deery: How Frank McGuire became ‘innocent victim’ of Labor’s factional war

Frank McGuire has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and is largely regarded as a hard worker — yet he finds himself disendorsed by Labor.

When Frank McGuire entered politics he was touted as a potential future premier.

Ten years later he stood outside Labor’s Dockland headquarters on Monday handing out letters to the party’s national executive committee begging to keep his job.

He wasn’t successful.

It’s hard to overlook the irony in the fact that the same committee that parachuted McGuire into Spring St also signed off on his political execution.

He hadn’t been an ALP member long and lived nowhere near Broadmeadows (he still doesn’t) when the national executive shoehorned him into state parliament in 2011.

The move overlooked the party’s grassroots members and sparked an unsuccessful court challenge by a coalition of outraged unions.

The decision to disendorse him will again be challenged in court when the national executive’s ongoing control of the Victorian ALP branch is tested in the Court of Appeal next year.

If successful it could force Labor to redo it’s entire preselection process, and again involve grassroots members.

In the meantime many have been left asking why Frank?

Frank McGuire was touted as a potential future premier, now he’s been disendorsed by Labor. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Unlike the other MPs who have been forced out of Labor, there is no corruption probe around McGuire.

He’s been accused of no wrong doing, and is largely regarded as a hard worker, diligent to a fault, and a fierce champion for his constituents.

But in the factional wars that have sparked the unprecedented cull of sitting MPs, McGuire had no allegiances.

It’s also no secret in Labor circles that one of the people that struggled to warm to McGuire was Daniel Andrews.

A plan to disendorse McGuire as early as 2014 was accidentally derailed, and he’s stayed put ever since.

“But he’s rubbed people up the wrong way because he does his own thing,” one senior source said.

Frank McGuire and Daniel Andrews in 2011.

He speaks his mind, free from factional orders, and struggles to stick to the party script.

“He was an innocent victim, who was sitting on a valuable piece of real estate, and needed to be moved on by factional powerbrokers.”

McGuire’s Broadmeadows electorate is Labor heartland.

Former premier John Brumby had it before him, and deputy premier Jim Kennan before that.

“Getting rid of Frank and putting a factional underling in his spot his all about advancing the power base. Nothing more,” a source said.

“Frank served no further purpose. Politics is not about meritocracy.”

Unlike others that have been pushed aside, including former ministers Robin Scott, Marlene Kairouz and Luke Donnellan, McGuire has vowed to serve in the job until the election.

And if the court challenge against the whole process is successful, he may survive yet.