Anger over Jane Garrett ‘hit’ in explosive preselection battle for safe upper house seat

ANGER is rising over a supposed political “hit” on former minister Jane Garrett, who has failed to win preselection for a safe upper house seat.

Former minister Jane Garrett has failed in her bid for the upper house. Picture: David Caird

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TENSIONS are rising over the political “hit” on former Andrews Government minister Jane Garrett after she failed to win preselection for a safe Upper House seat.

Federal and state MPs aligned to industrial unions promised retribution against people they claim “ratted” on supporting Ms Garrett in a party ballot to decide Western Metro preselections.

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Some have fingered those aligned to Left powerbroker Kim Carr and assistant state secretary Kosmos Samaras, and are also taking aim at Premier Daniel Andrews.

But several MPs from the Left have blamed Ms Garrett for her own downfall, blaming her relationship with other factional players and a decision to leave her marginal seat of Brunswick. Labor ministers on Thursday tried to hose down suggestions the dispute would result in an internal “war”.

Ingrid Stitt won preselection for Western Metro. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Ms Garrett outperformed Australian Services Union official Ingrid Stitt in the local branch vote 404-280, but failed to get enough support from the Socialist Left faction to get the nod overall.

Factional ally Mark Gepp described it as a “hit” on the Ms Garrett, who was absent from state parliament on Thursday.

Upper house MP Adem Somyurek warned the ALP could not afford the “indulgence” it had shown because Ms Garrett was someone who comes along “once in a generation”.

“I don’t know what the party’s thinking is, but she’ll be back,” Upper House MP Adem Somyurek said.

But one minister told the Herald Sun Ms Garrett had shown a misjudgment about the “rules and future of the Labor Party”.

Ms Garrett announced she would leave her marginal Brunswick seat for an upper house bid after a tumultuous 2016 in which she was assaulted, diagnosed with cancer and resigned as emergency services minister over the CFA pay deal crisis.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said she had been “bullied out of parliament” by Mr Andrews.

But Mr Andrews distanced himself from the internal turmoil and said he played no part in the “challenging” preselection battle.

“They are always difficult affairs when you have a contest where there will be a winner and a loser,” he said.

“There was a time when I was very much involved in these processes, that was a very long time ago.

“I have got a full-time job leading our state and I had no involvement in last night’s hotly-contested ballot.”

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@moniquehore