Explosive texts between powerbrokers reveal gaping Labor rift
A series of sensational messages between Labor powerbrokers has been revealed in court, shining a light on how the party’s internal feud erupted.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Explosive text messages between Labor powerbrokers have shed new light on the internal war engulfing the party, with Bill Shorten at one point warning colleagues of a “stitch-up”.
A swathe of internal messages between key figures such as Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Senator Tim Ayres have been revealed in a Supreme Court battle for control of Victorian Labor.
Affiliated unions are suing the party to end a national takeover of the state branch, triggered by the branch stacking scandal involving Adem Somyurek, after Mr Albanese moved to preselect candidates for safe federal seats.
This included securing a nomination for the newly created seat of Hawke, which sparked a backlash when former state secretary Sam Rae emerged as the frontrunner during the rushed process.
Unions and a group of right-aligned factions who have been cut out of the process had demanded the national intervention end and voting rights be returned to members to preselect candidates.
There has also been a push to ensure a female candidate is nominated for Hawke under Labor’s equal representation policies.
New messages aired in court Monday have shone a light on the internal feud breaking out as Mr Albanese intervened.
In one text read to the court from April 30, Senator Ayres messages Mr Albanese.
“Understand you have been briefed by Mr Marles,” he wrote.
“We are in pretty good shape to get this Vic thing moving over the weekend – correspondence from you on Sunday.”
A letter was then sent to the national executive by Mr Albanese calling for preselections to get underway, with an election looming over next 12 months.
“Stitch up begins,” Mr Shorten wrote to a group of colleagues.
It was later claimed that two male MPs from Labor’s right would retire before the next election and would be guaranteed to be replaced by women.
But Mr Shorten and AWU state secretary Ben Davis both said this was not true in a group chat, with lawyers choosing not to read their colourful responses out loud.
The court also heard that Mr Shorten wrote to others about those cut out of the preselection process.
“Heard about how half of the right and plenty of others are being excluded,” he wrote.
“Asking you to (not) support this ambush with no notice. Every time NSW right asked me for support I have given it. This time I would like reciprocity.”
Other messages show that Victorian Labor’s Senior Vice President Shannon Threlfall-Clarke could not attend the national executive meeting but told senior Labor figures she did not support rushing through preselections.
“I don’t believe providing only 80 minutes notice is sufficient for this body to consider properly what is a very important matter,” she wrote.
In messages sent during the meeting chaired by national president Wayne Swan, former Australian Services Union assistant national secretary Linda White jokes about the process being one-sided.
“I love Wayne’s chairing he never calls if anyone is against,” she wrote.
Pop queen Kylie Minogue to be given top honour in Melbourne
She’s Melbourne’s very own pop queen. Now, Kylie will be honoured by her hometown alongside the city’s music greats.
High rise towers set to stack up across Melbourne suburbs
The Allan government has walked back plans to squeeze six-storey developments into quiet suburban streets. But high rise towers are still coming to a suburb near you.