Labor candidate Beazley praises her father Kim’s integrity

Hannah Beazley, daughter of former Labor leader Kim Beazley, has praised her father’s integrity and humanity.

Labor’s candidate for Swan, Hannah Beazley, in Perth. Picture: Kym Smith

Hannah Beazley, Labor’s candidate for the Perth seat of Swan and daughter of former party leader Kim Beazley, has described her ­father’s greatest achievement as maintaining his integrity and ­humanity in the ruthless world of political leadership.

Ms Beazley’s comments were a pointed gibe at the ego-driven culture of Australian politics, which has spawned six prime ministers in nine years, exemplified by the man who deposed her father of the Labor leadership in 2006, Kevin Rudd. “I think Dad’s best achievement was keeping his integrity intact, being able to work across the aisle, and maintaining his ­humanity,” Ms Beazley said.

“I’m a person of strong values and I don’t intend to lose them.”

Ms Beazley, who is trying to win her father’s former seat, is not the first Labor person to hark back to the former party leader as a more honourable politician than what has followed.

Former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan said in his valedictory speech in February that Labor would have been better off if Mr Beazley, and not Mr Rudd, had beaten John Howard in 2007.

Ms Beazley, a former adviser to West Australian Premier Mark McGowan, was joined on the hustings by Bill Shorten yesterday as she attempts to be the third-­generation Beazley to be a Labor federal parliamentarian.

Her grandfather, Kim Sr, sat in federal parliament for 32 years and was education minister in the Whitlam government.

She said she was grateful her ­father did not give her too much “advice” on winning the seat.