More MPs pick sides in Labor leadership tussle, as candidates prepare for possible ballot

NSW Labor leadership hopeful Michael Daley insists he has the 15 signatures needed to trigger a full membership ballot despite another senior MP publicly endorsing his rival, the sixth in two days.

The former leader on Wednesday said his battle with rival Chris Minns would be tighter than their last face-off in 2018, but was confident he had the numbers to give party branch members their say.

His declaration came hours before opposition health spokesman Ryan Park confirmed he would not be supporting Mr Daley, despite doing so in the past.

NSW Labor leadership hopeful Michael Daley said a ballot is nothing to fear.Credit: James Alcock

“I didn’t join a protest movement, I joined a political party that is in the business of forming government to support the aspirations of working men and women and their communities,” Mr Park said.

Mr Park was ruled out as a contender for the leadership last week, after an intervention from Labor head office.

NSW opposition health spokesman Ryan Park.Credit: Kate Geraghty

“I believe now is the time for change and it’s why I’ll be supporting Chris Minns.”

Mr Daley earlier conceded there was not a “yawning gap” in caucus support, which secured his victory in the last contest with Mr Minns, but said he had the15 signatures he needed on paper.

“People want an experienced hand ... NSW needs someone with knowledge and character, grit, tenacity and experience, and I believe that’s me,” he said.

Mr Minns said he did not yet have the 15 signatures on a piece of paper, but believed he would surpass the figure when nominations open on Friday.

“All I can do is put myself forward with a positive plan for the future of the state,” he said. He added he did not oppose a ballot, despite the process being “a bit messy”.

“I’ve made it very clear that the Labor Party is a democracy. Democracy is a bit messy from time to time, but they’re the rules,” he said.

NSW Labor MP Chris Minns on Wednesday.Credit: Louise Kennerley

Upper house MPs Penny Sharpe, Daniel Mookhey, John Graham and Tara Moriarty have also confirmed their support for Mr Minns this week, as well as Campbelltown MP Greg Warren, in an effort to avoid a bruising ballot.

State and federal MPs have cautioned against the process, which would drain a cash-strapped Labor Party preparing for a federal election, but Mr Daley said it was nothing to fear.

“It’s just a ballot,” he said. “Asking the branch members in rank-and-file of the Labor Party to pick their leader is just democracy in action.”

Mr Daley on Wednesday called for an upper house inquiry into revelations the government attempted to cover up artificial inflation of the state’s budgets by tens of billions of dollars.

It followed a Herald investigation revealing the government had shifted the rail network’s costs onto a corporation that still hasn’t been able to properly operate six years after it was launched.

Mr Daley, who has been raising concerns about the issue in Parliament for years, said he was doing the job of opposition by holding the government to account.

“If you don’t want the opposition to do their job, then let’s just have Vladimir Putin as the Premier and let him do his thing.“

Mr Minns, who recently resigned as opposition transport spokesman, said he had also been talking about the issue since 2016.

“It gives me no joy to have been proved correct,” he said.

On Wednesday afternoon Mr Minns was visiting a steel manufacturing plate plant in western Sydney to talk about the future of manufacturing in NSW.

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