Jana Stewart emerges as frontrunner to replace the late Kimberley Kitching

Anthony Albanese has made a bombshell revelation about Kimberley Kitching’s future in politics as he continues to brush off calls for a bullying inquiry.

Jana Stewart – who challenged Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong at the 2019 election – is the preferred candidate of the Right-aligned Labor Unity faction.

Anthony Albanese has revealed he knew Kimberley Kitching was the only candidate for her position on Labor’s Senate ticket for the May federal election.

The Labor leader’s statement on Thursday prompted party insiders to question why that information had not been used to reassure Senator Kitching about her future before her sudden death of a suspected heart attack a fortnight ago.

Her friends have said she was under considerable stress because of the uncertainty surrounding her political future.

At a meeting of Labor’s Victorian Right factional leaders the day before her death, her allies unsuccessfully tried to secure support for her preselection.

Anthony Albanese has revealed he knew Kimberley Kitching was the only candidate for her position on Labor’s Senate ticket. Picture: Emma Brasier

Union leader Diana Asmar, one of Senator Kitching’s closest friends, said she was “a mess” after being told what had happened.

On Thursday, when Mr Albanese was grilled about why Senator Kitching feared losing her preselection, he said it was “a matter for others” because “there wasn’t even a candidate suggested against Kimberley Kitching”.

Kimberley Kitching was reported to be under considerable stress in the days leading up to her death from a suspected heart attack.

“From time to time, there are tensions within the Labor Party due to its competitive nature,” he said.

“With regard to Kimberley Kitching’s Senate preselection, she was the only person who was mentioned in terms of being a candidate. And because of our representation system from the Victorian Right-wing faction, she was the only name that I had heard mentioned as being candidate.”

Mr Albanese also claimed it was “quite an extraordinary suggestion” for Senator Kitching’s friends and allies to call for an inquiry into her treatment because a complaint had not been put forward through the party’s formal processes.

He said he and his staff had never been made aware that Senator Kitching felt she had been bullied in Canberra.

A decision on Senator Kitching’s replacement will be made early next week by the party’s national executive. Her allies including former Labor leader Bill Shorten have discussed nominating Victorian Corrections Ministers Natalie Hutchins.

Frontrunner to replace Kitching

The Herald Sun revealed on Thursday that former state government bureaucrat Jana Stewart had emerged as the frontrunner with the support of the dominant Right factional grouping.

Ms Stewart – who challenged Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong at the 2019 election – is the preferred candidate of the Right-aligned Labor Unity faction.

With nominations to close next Monday, barrister Fiona McLeod — who ran for Labor in Higgins in 2019 — is another name in the mix.

But Ms Stewart has the advantage of the support of Labor Unity, senior figures in Canberra and key unions in the TWU and SDA.

Ms Stewart, an Aboriginal woman, was until recently a deputy secretary at the Department of Justice and has played a leading role in work on stolen generations reparations.

She has already been preselected to run for the seat of Pascoe Vale at this year’s state election, and will give up that role if elected on the Senate ticket.

Jana Stewart with her family. Picture : Facebook

When contacted by the Herald Sun, Ms Stewart confirmed she was running.

“Over the last 24 hours I was approached by several people in the Labor Party asking me to consider the vacancy in the senate left by the sudden and sad passing of Senator Kitching,” she said.

“I have decided to nominate for this history-making opportunity to be the first Aboriginal woman and Victorian traditional owner to represent Labor in the Senate.

“If my nomination is successful, I will be honoured to continue the work of those who have come before me and extending that legacy in representing all Victorians.”

Labor Unity has a deal with Labor’s Left that gives it control of the Victorian branch amid a federal intervention.

Labor’s national executive will vote on the senate ticket soon, with veteran Left senator Kim Carr likely to be dumped in favour of former Australian Services Union assistant national secretary Linda White.

The Herald Sun can also reveal Labor Unity will back SDA union organiser Cassandra Fernando to replace Anthony Byrne in the Victorian lower house seat of Holt, despite a small push from the Left to claim the seat.

The veteran MP is retiring after blowing the whistle on branch-stacking in the party and admitting his own misconduct, in evidence to Victoria’s corruption watchdog.

Senator Kitching’s friends and allies have said she was under enormous stress about whether she would be preselected again before suffering a suspected heart attack a fortnight ago.

On Thursday, Labor Party deputy leader Richard Marles said it was “absolutely my expectation” she would have been preselected, saying he shared that view with others. He also rejected suggestions he failed to act on a request from Senator Kitching to intervene to stop her mistreatment.

“She never made a bullying complaint to me. She never sought for me to act,” he said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese again shot down calls for an inquiry into how Senator Kitching was treated.