Labor unrest as Tasmanian union boss Jessica Munday ‘eyes Senate’

A trade union boss who outraged some ALP members by appearing to back an independent has allegedly sought a plum Senate spot.

Own goal: A poster for independent David O'Byrne in the front garden of the Hobart home of Jessica Munday, secretary of Unions Tasmania. Picture: Matthew Denholm.

Just months after being subject to an ALP disciplinary process, Tasmania’s “hard left” chief unionist has been pushing to secure a party Senate spot, outraging some members, sources say.

Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday in July survived a push to expel her from the party after her front garden featured a poster for an independent but no Labor candidates during the March state election.

Some in the party are now outraged that the “hard left” union boss has had the “gall” and “arrogance” to have been jockeying for a plum Senate spot. Sources told The Weekend Australian Ms Munday had attempted to garner support as the Left faction’s choice to head the party Senate ticket at the coming federal election. They say the move was particularly upsetting, given it would have displaced long-time senator and Left powerbroker Carol Brown, who has been battling cancer.

Ms Munday withdrew her pursuit of the spot, deciding against seeking preselection, when it became clear the numbers were not there for her to succeed, sources said. The party’s national executive on Friday preselected Senator Brown at No.1 on the ticket and newcomer, Right faction economist, Richard Dowling at No.2.

However, multiple sources said Ms Munday had now shifted her sights to filling the casual vacancy that will arise when senator Anne Urquhart resigns. Senator Urquhart, also from the Left, has announced she will quit the Senate when the election is called to run for Labor in the House of Representatives seat of Braddon. Sources said the preselection of the “moderate left” Senator Brown could aid Ms Munday, whose “hard left” sub-faction within the Left could argue the Urquhart ­vacancy was “their turn”.

Ms Munday did not respond directly to questions about whether she had sounded out Labor figures to replace Senator Brown, nor about whether she was interested in replacing Senator Urquhart. “My only interest in the next federal election is ensuring Peter Dutton doesn’t get elected and can’t cut the wages and conditions of workers,” Ms Munday said.

Some ALP members, across the factional divide, strongly ­oppose Ms Munday being given a safe Senate spot.

“How can you campaign for a non-Labor candidate with a poster for him on your front lawn, and none for the Labor candidates, and then want to be a Labor senator?” said one long-time member.

“You can’t campaign against the party one minute and then ­expect to represent it the next.”

Labor’s disputes tribunal dismissed the complaint against Ms Munday, after receiving a statutory declaration from her husband, Scott Munday, that it was he who decided to host the poster for independent David O’Byrne.

Independent member for Franklin David O'Byrne. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr O’Byrne, a former state Labor leader exiled after an ­alleged sexual harassment scandal, won a seat in Franklin. A Labor-commissioned report found Mr O’Byrne’s conduct was “inappropriate” and “wrong” but did not breach party sexual harassment policy.

The tribunal rejected Ms Munday’s call to label the complaint against her as “baseless”, noting that “many members of the party may well have jumped to the same conclusion” as the complainant.

Some party members remain convinced Ms Munday should have been expelled and was saved by Labor leader Dean Winter.

Ms Munday’s critics concede it would not be unusual for a union leader to seek preselection but argue it would be “extremely divisive” for her to do so.