Chris Minns and Michael Daley to battle for role as NSW Labor leader

A drawn-out and divisive battle for who should be NSW Labor leader has taken shape after two rival MPs announced they’re both ready to rumble.

The race is on for who should be the next leader of the NSW Labor Party after MPs Chris Minns and Michael Daley announced they both want the job.

Mr Minns said he was vying for the leadership position at a press conference on Monday afternoon, a day after Mr Daley said he was running.

“It’s time for Labor to start coming out with ideas to drive NSW forward,” Mr Minns said.

His pitch to the members who will decide the next leader will be that Labor should do less negative hits against the government and focus on “solutions” instead.

Mr Daley will focus on his experience in his appeal to the party rank and file. He has been the party’s leader once before and he has been in state parliament since 2005, a decade longer than Mr Minns.

Kogarah MP Chris Minns will challenge Mr Daley for the leadership role. Picture: Julian Andrews

Mr Daley said earlier on Monday he welcomed the challenge from Mr Minns, saying it would be healthy for the state’s democracy to let members have their say.

“No one has put to me why competition is bad – it’s just a ballot, just a simple vote, why is everyone trying to avoid it?” Mr Daley said.

Asked about the fears by some Labor figures that a drawn-out leadership battle would be costly and distracting, Mr Daley said: “Those people should have thought of that before they tore down Jodi McKay.

“If they hadn’t undermined her constantly for two years, there wouldn’t be a leadership vacancy.”

Ms McKay, the MP for Strathfield, resigned as Labor leader last Friday after the party suffered a disappointing defeat in the Upper Hunter by-election.

Former NSW Labor Leader Michael Daley announced he was running for his old job on Sunday. Picture: Richard Dobson

Kogarah MP Mr Minns has tried and failed before to take the helm of the NSW Labor Party.

Asked at press conference why he thought he could win this time around, he said: “It’s going to be up to the membership and my colleagues to determine.”

He said he saw Labor as the “party of economic opportunity” and working families.

“I am a little bit worried that there’s too much focus on ourselves,” he said.

“I want the people of NSW to know that the Labor Party was formed, and we are at our best, when we’re focusing on the people of western Sydney and the regions.”

Mr Daley’s announcement he was running for the top spot again quickly drew opposition from a group of Asian Australian Labor members who highlighted controversial comments he made in 2018.

The group claimed in an open letter the party’s chances of winning another election would be undermined if Mr Daley took over the leadership again.

I watched Michael Daley’s press conference on Sunday. It is apparent to me that Michael has not learned or understands how hurtful the comments he made back in 2019 were to Asian Australian communities. pic.twitter.com/yPz9IoWSzL

— Kun Huang (@kunhuang1990) May 30, 2021

Mr Daley said he was “truly regretful” about the comments that “foreigners” and “people, from typically Asia, with PhDs” would take the jobs of others.

The letter calling Mr Daley out for his 2018 comments was signed by a group of 18 Sydney councillors and Labor Party members, including Cumberland City councillor Kun Huang and Burwood councillor Ernest Chan.

“As Asian Australian members of NSW Labor, many of us have been subjected to and have fought against racism,” the letter said.

“This is a deeply felt and personal issue for all of us. For Labor to win at the ballot box, we must seek to understand and represent the views of all Australia, in all its diversity.”

Mr Daley said he had learned his lesson and wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

“I think getting a second chance in life is a powerful thing,” Mr Daley said.