Sheena Watt set to become Labor’s first Indigenous state MP
Labor is set to use the seat vacated by former health Minister Jenny Mikakos to appoint its first Indigenous woman to state parliament.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Labor is set to use the seat vacated by former health Minister Jenny Mikakos to appoint its first Indigenous woman to state parliament.
Yorta Yorta woman Sheena Watt has firmed as favourite to replace Mikakos in the upper house after Prue Stewart, a staffer for Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams, withdrew from the preselection race.
It comes after a week of instability within Daniel Andrews’ faction in which key allies swung against Ms Stewart, his preference for the seat.
It’s understood Labor figures aligned with Cabinet ministers Gabrielle Williams, Ros Spence and Jill Hennessy threw their support behind Ms Watt in a rare show of opposition to the Premier.
This included members of the southeast Left faction of which he is a part.
Ms Stewart on Friday appeared to be a frontrunner for the position while Casey Nunn and Mat Hilakari were also still in contention.
But the numbers swayed significantly towards Ms Watt shortly after Mr Andrews publicly threw his support behind nominating an Indigenous woman, leaving two options.
Ms Stewart withdrew her nomination on Saturday.
One source told the Sunday Herald Sun that, following the departure of Ms Mikakos, there was an “appetite” among the Socialist Left to make a statement by voting against the backing of the Premier.
Mr Andrews has called on his faction to “do something special” when it meets today to select a replacement for the vacancy.
“It seems that we will be able to have the first Aboriginal member of our caucus in the history of our caucus. I think that’s a really special thing and I’m very pleased,” the source said.
“And if I’ve played some small part in that, people can criticise if they choose to, I think that’s leadership.
“Because you have to live your values. That’s what I’ve always known.”
Ms Watt’s likely nomination will need to be ratified by the ALP National Executive which took control of the ALP’s Victorian branch following branch-stacking allegations levelled at sacked MP Adem Somyurek.
Just six Victorians sit on the national executive, with Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council David Davis slamming the involvement of outsiders in Victorian politics.
“Labor’s faceless men and women are pulling the strings again,” he said.
“There is something badly wrong when mysterious, unidentified out-of-town characters have the whip hand in the appointment of our MPs. How is this democracy?”
Ms Mikakos tweeted her support for Ms Watt.
“It’s fitting that a progressive woman of diversity succeeds me,” she said.
Lidia Thorpe, the former member for Northcote, was the first Indigenous female elected to the Victorian parliament in 2017.
RELATED: