Little talent, big ambition: a recipe for disaster

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews fronts the media on Tuesday. Picture: AAP

I have never met the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, but I am an unabashed admirer.

They way he has handled the spectacular fall from grace of Adem Somyurek, the self-styled kingmaker of Victorian Labor politics, is pretty impressive.

Somyurek, a serial boofhead if ever there was one, claimed he chose who would be premier and who would become a minister. While his delusions may be far-fetched, they make uncomfortable television — for Labor stalwarts and voters alike.

Sadly, there will always be those who have little talent and big ambitions. It is a dangerous mix and people in this category are certain to deliver more grief than joy. His big mouth was bound to cause him trouble.

Once again, there is talk of federal interventions into the Victorian branch over Somyurek’s activities and it looks certain to happen. Some of the ramifications of the allegations made on Sunday night’s 60 Minutes program are beyond the realm of Labor power. If people are enrolled in false addresses then there is prime facie breach of the criminal law which will require a police investigation and that is where this scandal could get messy. If the gendarmerie are knocking on doors for weeks to come then the bad publicity and negative headlines are destined, if not determined, to continue for some time yet.

My mentor, John Ducker, fought off federal intervention into the NSW branch for years. He played one group against another and managed to stymie all efforts to intervene even though he never had the numbers on the national executive. The pursuit of the NSW Right went on for decades although I always wondered how the Left could be given control of the party when they had just more than a third of the delegates to state conference upon who they could rely. Arthur Gietzelt, despite holding a membership ticket in the Communist Party of Australia, as well as the Labor Party, become a minister in the Hawke government.

ASIO visited Hawke as soon as it became public knowledge that Gietzelt had been elected to the ministry. They warned him ­officially that the man was a communist and Hawke shot back that everyone knew what was the worst kept secret in the country. So Gietzelt was given the veterans’ affairs portfolio where he served with distinction. I could never understand why a great man like Tom Uren could be bothered sticking with Gietzelt. Then again, Uren did nurture Anthony Albanese, who eventually undid the steering committee which was the official Left led by Gietzelt.

These days people belong to factions for reasons. They generally are committed to a gradual ­approach which would allow Labor long periods in government. These people join the Right. While they are decreasing, there are still left-wing ideologues. The biggest new faction is the “I want a job” mob where those with little experience use the Labor Party and expect to get a job as a staffer to a parliamentarian. It makes you wonder how many of Paul Keating’s true believers still remain.