Jane Garrett’s bid for safe upper house seat fails after explosive pre-selection contest

FORMER Andrews Government minister Jane Garrett has failed in her bid to secure a safe upper house seat after an explosive internal preselection contest.

Jane Garrett has failed in her bid to secure a safe Upper House seat after an explosive internal preselection contest. Picture: Nicole Garmston

FORMER state government minister Jane Garrett has failed in her bid to secure a safe Upper House seat after an explosive internal preselection contest.

Despite comprehensively beating Australian Services Union official Ingrid Stitt 404 votes to 280 in a local branch contest, Ms Garrett could not secure enough support in the ALP’s Socialist Left faction to be endorsed for the seat of Western Metro.

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One Labor source said the result would lead to “war” or a factional split after some members of the Public Office Selection Committee “ratted” on Ms Garrett.

Another said it was a win for forces aligned to Premier Daniel Andrews and southeast powerbrokers who gunned for Ms Garrett internally.

A Labor Right figure said “get out the popcorn”.

In a bitter POSC process within the Socialist Left, an initial vote resulted in a tie, before members were told there would be a coin toss or they would have to vote again.

Two POSC members appeared to shift allegiances on a subsequent vote and Ms Stitt was declared the winner.

Labor will now preselect current member Cesar Melhem — from the Right — and Ms Stitt as the party’s candidates for the Upper House seat. Ms Garrett was seen as a rising star of the party and sworn in as emergency services minister when Labor won the 2014 state election.

But a brawl with the United Firefighters Union over a CFA enterprise agreement saw her quit Cabinet and fall out with elements of the Left, including those close to the Premier — who had capitulated to the UFU’s demands.

The Brunswick MP was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and only returned to State Parliament early this year. That illness was part of her decision to try to shift seats, but enemies in the party attacked the decision to leave her marginal seat of Brunswick.

One source said the aggressive targeting of Ms Garrett by some party members was a “disgrace”.

Another said anti-Garrett forces had believed the Right had interfered in the local branch vote and that had been used against her.

Other ALP candidates to be preselected last night included Justin Mammarella in Melton, Katie Hall in Footscray, Peter Lockwood in Bayswater, Juliana Addison in Wendouree, Jordan Crugnale in Bass, and Sarah Connolly in Tarneit.

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