By Lisa Visentin
The fight to replace former Labor leader Luke Foley in the state seat of Auburn will be resolved by a rank-and-file preselection, after the party's head office rejected a bid by one of its executive members to be parachuted into the seat.
In a move that split NSW Labor's "left" faction, assistant general secretary Rose Jackson's supporters had urged the party to do away with the standard preselection process and instead install her as Labor's candidate for Auburn.
A meeting of the party's powerful Administrative Committee on Friday rejected this approach, with the candidate to be decided at a preselection on December 22.
It was one of two major decisions concluded by the Committee, which also formally disendorsed federal MP Emma Husar from recontesting her marginal western Sydney seat of Lindsay.
The Administrative Committee on Friday disendorsed MP Emma Husar from recontesting her seat. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The committee, which convened at Labor's Sussex Street headquarters, voted to refer the preselection for Ms Husar's replacement to the ALP National Executive - a move that clears the path for former state government minister Diane Beamer to be parachuted into the seat.
The decision came after federal Labor leader Bill Shorten confirmed on Friday he would not intervene to save Ms Husar, who indicated last week she had changed her mind about her decision to quit politics at the federal election.
"I said at the time when Emma wrote saying she wasn't going to contest the next election, that I thought that was the right decision then, both for her and the party," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
"I haven't changed my mind."
Earlier this year a Labor investigation found Ms Husar had mistreated her electorate staff, but did not find evidence to support claims of sexual harassment or of her flashing another federal MP.
Ms Husar revealed on Thursday she had launched a defamation lawsuit against media outlet Buzzfeed, which revealed the allegations made against her in the confident internal investigation, which included evidence from more than 20 people.
Labor's sports spokeswoman Lynda Voltz is interested in preselection for Auburn. Credit: Ryan Osland
Ms Husar has been contacted for comment.
The decision to proceed with a rank-and-file vote in Auburn means shadow sports spokeswoman Lynda Voltz, a member of the NSW Upper House who has strong support in the Auburn branches, is the frontrunner to secure the preselection.
Ms Voltz said she was "pleased" at the outcome, labelling a rank-and-file preselection "an appropriate process for the party."
"The left has always taken a principled stand on rank-and-file preselection and it would have been disappointing if they didn't support one in this instance," Ms Voltz said.
Ms Jackson declined to comment.
Rose Jackson.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The fight for seat was triggered by the resignation of Mr Foley last month, after he was accused of sexually harrassing an ABC journalist - a claim he vigorously denies. He will quit politics at the state election in March.
The Auburn electorate is a Labor stronghold, and a "left" seat, meaning Mr Foley's replacement would be drafted from the party's left wing and virtually assured of a seat in the next Parliament.
The Administrative Committee is comprised of party offices, elected MPs and unionists, who are allied with either the party's left or right faction. The left members were split on how to elect Mr Foley's replacement, with some backing Ms Jackson, while Ms Voltz's allies called for a branch preselection.
Luke Foley announces his resignation at a press conference last month. Credit: Janie Barrett
The party's head office was peppered with emails calling for the party's Auburn's branch members to be given a vote, and grassroots party members circulated a petition along the same lines.
The committee ultimately agreed to rubber stamp the decision of the party's senior officials, including general secretary Kaila Murnain, to hold the preselection.
Neither Ms Jackson nor Ms Voltz live in the electorate, but Ms Voltz, who grew up in the area, is widely regarded among the left as the favourite to win.
If successful at both the preselection and the state election, Ms Voltz's move to the Legislative Assembly will trigger a casual vacancy in the upper house, which the party will need to fill when the new Parliament reconvenes.
With AAP