Labor MPs beg Daniel Andrews to intervene in factional war
Labor MP Sarah Connolly has confirmed she will run for the new seat of Laverton as war erupts among Victorian factions over preselections for the 2022 state poll.
Victoria
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Labor MP Sarah Connolly is set to run for the newly created seat of Laverton at the 2022 state election, moving from neighbouring Tarneit.
It comes as Labor MPs facing political execution by factional enemies urged the Premier to intervene and head off the potential for damaging by-elections and legislative chaos.
Ms Connolly on Wednesday confirmed she had nominated for the electorate in Melbourne’s west, which was created in a redistribution earlier in the year.
In Labor heartland, it is expected to be one of the safest seats for the party and it is anticipated she will be easily selected to run at the next poll.
“The recent redistribution of the Tarneit Electorate’s boundaries has largely split my seat in half and left me with an impossible decision to make,” Ms Connolly said.
“After much deliberation, and having consulted with my family, community leaders and ALP Branch members, it is with their full support that I have determined to contest the seat of Laverton in the 2022 Victorian State Election.
“With Truganina and Williams Landing joining other key areas in the West, including Laverton, Sunshine, Sunshine West, Ardeer, Albion and Braybrook to become part of the new Laverton Electorate, I will be making those residents the same promise I made to the people of Tarneit – to fight for them every day and deliver for them all I possibly can on behalf of a re-elected Andrews Labor government.”
“I am looking forward to continuing this journey with Melbourne’s West.
“If I am preselected and further elected as the new member for Laverton, I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that my community receives the support and representation it deserves.”
Laverton will be aligned with right-aligned factions within Labor, with Tarneit to then come under the control of the left.
It comes as Socialist Left convener Mat Hilkari was ringing residents in the new Point Cook electorate on Tuesday and canvassing support, despite forecasts that RTBU state secretary Luba Grigorovitch was a likely choice for the seat.
Mr Hilakari currently lives around the Carrum area.
Burwood MP Will Fowles, whose electorate has been abolished, had nominated for Ringwood, which was vacated by Dustin Halse.
In a shake-up of the current alignment, Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas will move from the NUW to the Socialist Left under a new agreement ironed out among the factions.
WAR AMONG LABOR FACTIONS
Meanwhile, war has erupted among Victorian Labor factions over preselections to contest seats in the 2022 state poll, with seven people already announcing their retirement.
A group of sitting MPs are also being targeted, with a national takeover of the state party allowing current members to be disendorsed through a vote of the national executive.
At least another seven sitting MPs are being targeted, with a national takeover of the state party allowing current members to be disendorsed through a vote of the powerful ALP national executive.
The administrative body – controlled by Premier Daniel Andrews’ Socialist Left faction, the TWU, SDA and members linked to Stephen Conroy and Richard Marles on the right – is looking to oust several “internal enemies”.
A challenger to Preston MP Robin Scott is likely to be endorsed, while Marlene Kairouz and Kaushaliya Vaghela are facing similar fates.
Legislative Council president Nazih Elasmar may also be targeted.
Further moves against allies of former federal Labor leader Bill Shorten could see former AWU secretary Cesar Melhem demoted to an unwinnable spot on the ALP upper house ticket, and former minister Luke Donnellan in the gun. Broadmeadows MP Frank McGuire is under pressure to vacate his seat.
The futures of MPs under threat will become clearer at the weekend, with the deadline for nominations closing at 10am on Friday.
About 25 MPs from three groups cut out of the new power deal met on Monday night and agreed to petition the premier to stop the bloodletting.
Mr Melhem said: “No MP should be disendorsed by a national executive without any members having a say.
“The Premier has to step in and put a stop to it.”
Threats that frozen-out lower house MPs could immediately resign from parliament, triggering costly by-elections, have been floated.
And some upper house MPs in the firing line have not ruled out crossing the floor in the precariously balanced Legislative Council to block government legislation.
Labor is currently reliant on three crossbenchers to pass any new laws and the loss of further votes would require haggling with more independent or minor party MPs.
It comes a week after the Andrews government had to negotiate a deal to save its pandemic legislation, when former Labor MP Adem Somyurek returned to vote against the bill.
One Labor MP said people in the Right targeted for destruction would be forced to leave the party because they “are being accorded no right to exist”.
This could see them join the crossbench, the MP said.
“Once people make threats, threats have to be carried out. The ultimate winner could be Matthew Guy,” the source said.
But another Right-aligned source accused the under-fire factions of unfairly damaging the party.
“The same people that have sued the party are now running a fear campaign with no facts but purely hysteria and paranoia,” they said.
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