ALP powerbroker senator Kim Carr in career fight

A high profile but outspoken lawyer is being linked to a plan to oust ALP veteran Kim Carr from federal parliament.

Labor senator Kim Carr in the Senate chamber.

Veteran Labor powerbroker Kim Carr will fight to remain in federal parliament after a push to elevate a high-profile employment lawyer to the Senate.

Victorian Labor factions are debating a new stability deal for the next federal election and ­beyond which includes a clause to back renewal in the party.

This is seen as code to enable negotiations that would lead to the end of Senator Carr’s career, possibly to be replaced by outspoken Labor lawyer Josh Bornstein, who has joined the Left faction.

Mr Bornstein will be vigorously opposed by sections of the party, with cross-factional discussions under way to broker a deal that would carve up federal and state preselections.

Senator Carr told The Australian he had no intention of leaving the parliament. “I’ve read about my demise since 1991,” he said, adding that he intended to ­remain in the Senate “well into the future”.

While Mr Bornstein is being backed by parts of the Left, parts of the Right are also believed to be supportive of the renewal push to prepare for the possibility of a Labor victory. A formidable Left faction warrior, Senator Carr, 65, has been a deal-maker since the 1980s and Labor insiders have cautioned he has a “Houdini”-like ability to survive. He was last re-elected in 2016.

There is also consternation in parts of Labor about Mr Bornstein’s social media footprint and inflammatory public commentary. Mr Bornstein wrote two years ago, for example, that Malcolm Turnbull’s so-called “bonking ban” was a “panicked” and “irresponsible” reaction to the Barnaby Joyce scandal.

Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Josh Bornstein.

He wrote in The Age: “And it is part of a broader and misplaced crackdown on sex in workplaces that must be checked.”

Mr Bornstein declined to comment, with factional leaders ­expecting a new stability deal to take weeks, and possibly months, to finalise.

Labor’s Right faction is ­expected to receive the safe, new seat of Hawke, leaving the clearest path for Mr Bornstein via the Senate. Left sources said while Mr Bornstein might be considered a strong candidate, he would have to navigate the deal and a position would need to be set aside for him.

It is not clear whether Mr Bornstein would become part of the Industrial Left sub-faction, potentially aligning him with parts of the Right faction. Key parts of the mainstream Left are opposed to the Industrial Left, further muddying Mr Bornstein’s hope of winning pre­selection.

A supporter of Senator Carr said it would be difficult for the new stability agreement not to ­include a clause whereby sitting members were protected. This was because, in part, of looming state preselections for the 2022 election. “It will become ­extremely messy if we have a heap of challenges against sitting members,” a Labor figure said.