Factional defections in Qld Labor blindsides leadership

The once-powerful Right faction in Queensland Labor has been dealt a blow with the defection of two of their state MPs to the Left faction.

Gary Bullock, Corinne McMillan, Alex Scott and Jen Howard.

The once-powerful Right faction in Queensland Labor has been dealt a blow with the defection of two of their state MPs to the Left faction.

Long-serving MPs Jen Howard and Corinne McMillan, both former assistant ministers in the former Miles Government, have joined a new block within the dominant Left of the ALP.

Backed by the public sector Together Union, the new group is now understood to have six MPs, including rising Labor star Jonty Bush, who has defected from the Old Guard faction.

The new group has been organised by Together Union state secretary Alex Scott, who helped bankroll Labor’s failed campaign bid for re-election last October.

Labor sources said more MPs are considering moving to the new block.

The shifting factional make-up of Queensland Labor will have ramifications in a future leadership vote, particularly with the ambitions of former Treasurer and Right faction leader Cameron Dick.

Queensland Opposition leader Steven Miles and Deputy Cameron Dick. Picture Glenn Hampson

It is understood Mr Dick and Mr Miles were blindsided by the defections.

It is also seen as a challenge to the influence of United Workers Union state secretary Gary Bullock, who is the Left faction president and the closest adviser of former Queensland Premier, now Opposition leader Steven Miles.

The Right faction is understood to have been reduced to just 12 MPs out of the Labor caucus of 36 MPs.

The Old Guard, which is aligned to the Left, is now made-up of just five MPs and the remaining 19 are with the Left.

Former Police minister Mark Ryan and fellow Left faction MPs Chris Whiting and Shane King have also joined the new group.

\ Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

A Labor source said the emergence of the new group is significant given the long dominance of the Australian Workers Union-led Right faction.

“The late Bill Ludwig would be rolling in his grave,’’ the source said.

“The Right faction long dominated the party in Queensland but is now a shambles and that surely doesn’t bode well for people like Cameron Dick and, federally, for Jim Chalmers.’’

Last year, the Together Union – a branch of the Australian Services – became one of the biggest affiliated unions to the ALP in Queensland.

It is understood that several of the MPs who have joined the new group were angered by Mr Miles and the opposition leadership’s team support for the youth crime legislation, introduced by the Crisafulli Government soon after winning the October election.