Annastacia Palaszczuk’s election picks anger Labor factions

A brawl has broken out among Queensland Labor factions over a slew of candidates hand-picked by Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Former Labor Whitsundays candidate Tracey Cameron, right, with Queensland Development, Tourism and Innovation Minister Kate Jones.

A brawl has broken out among Queensland Labor factions over a slew of candidates hand-picked by Annastacia Palaszczuk on the eve of the knife-edge state election.

The Premier has forced the dumping of at least two candidates in seats held by the Liberal National Party in an overhaul she said was about picking the “best team”.

The “captain’s calls”, which ­include surfing legend Wayne “Rabbits” Bartholomew, have ­angered even her own Australian Workers Union Right faction, whose protests have been overridden by the Premier.

Labor insiders said it was ­extremely rare for the factions to push back against a premier’s preferences, particularly her own faction.

“In those situations where the Premier’s got a pick, you don’t bother with a preselection battle,” a source said.

The party’s three main factions — the Right, the Old Guard and the dominant Left — are jostling to shore up their numbers for a future caucus.

The selection of the new candidates, backed by an expected boost in campaign resources, is intended to target “winnable” LNP seats to counter an expected loss of Labor-held regional marginals at the October 31 election.

“Now that some of these seats are winnable, they are pushing aside the candidates who have been preselected or gone through the process and replacing them with people they want to parachute in,” a Labor source said.

The overhaul led to the axing last week of Whitsundays candidate Tracey Cameron, a branch stalwart preselected in November who has campaigned alongside ministers in a bid to win the state’s most marginal seat.

Ms Cameron was pushed out to clear the position for Ms Palaszczuk’s pick, local principal Angie Kelly — the sister of Right faction MP Joe Kelly — who was named as a candidate on Tuesday. It is understood Ms Kelly will side with the Right faction, while Ms Cameron had been a member of the Old Guard.

Labor policy states candidates should be party members for at least six months, but it is understood Ms Kelly joined the party only in the past fortnight. A Labor source said it was not uncommon for the rule to be waived.

In a surprise statement posted on social media on Wednesday morning, Ms Cameron, the daughter of a coalminer, said she was withdrawing “due to personal reasons” and to help an ill family member. It is understood Ms Cameron and branch members were furious about her being forced to resign. She refused to comment when contacted by The Australian.

Asked on Tuesday about the infighting, Ms Palaszczuk said she was assembling the “best team”.

“I want the best candidates and the best team working for the very best for Queensland as we recover from this global pandemic,” she said. “That includes people like Wayne Bartholomew and Angie Kelly. Stay tuned. There’ll be more.”

On the Gold Coast seat of Burleigh, Ms Palaszczuk’s personal pick, Mr Bartholomew, bumped out the AWU’s preferred candidate. It is understood Mr Bartholomew will join the Right to appease the faction.

“Burleigh is one they feel is back in play and, strategically, she’s (Ms Palaszczuk) got to make a captain’s call, a Labor source said. “Clearly it’s going to put some noses out of joint.”

In the seat of Hervey Bay — where LNP stalwart Ted Sorensen is retiring — Labor’s frontrunner for preselection, Adrian Tantari, is facing pressure from senior Labor figures, who want to select Jason Scanes.