Local leader ready to rumble Iemma

FORMER NSW premier Morris Iemma has a fight on his hands if he decides to throw his hat in the ring for a federal seat.

130131 shane obrien

FORMER NSW premier Morris Iemma has a fight on his hands if he decides to throw his hat in the ring for the federal seat of Barton.

Another Labor hopeful in the southern Sydney seat, local mayor Shane O'Brien, confirmed yesterday he will stand for preselection, whatever Mr Iemma decides.

Mr Iemma, 51, was continuing to consult friends and family on a return to politics last night.

It is understood he will announce today if he will contest Barton, which was made available on Tuesday as a result of the surprise retirement announcement of former attorney-general Robert McClelland.

Yesterday, Mr O'Brien, 41, a Public Sector Union official, said: "I think locally I'm the best person for the job. Morris Iemma will be formidable, but those sorts of mountains are going to be before you, and you have to do your best to get to the top."

Another potential starter in Barton, Kirsten Andrews, was more circumspect.

Ms Andrews, 40, said yesterday: "I have confirmed to branch members that I intend to run.

"We're waiting to see what Morris Iemma would like to do in relation to the seat."

Yesterday, Julia Gillard ruled out making another prime ministerial intervention into the pre-selection process for Barton, which Mr McClelland retained in 2010 with a margin of 6.9 per cent.

Speaking at the National Press Club, the Prime Minister praised Mr McClelland, 55, for being a "terrific local member".

"He cares a great deal about his community, I know that from my many discussions with him, he's been a good contributor to the Labor team over a long period of time, both in opposition as a shadow minister and then as a minister in government, including in my cabinet -- and did a terrific job," Ms Gillard said.

Mr McClelland, a supporter of former prime minister Kevin Rudd, was dumped as attorney-general in 2011 and moved to the outer ministry as minister for housing, homelessness and emergency management, before being dropped from the ministry after last year's leadership challenge.

Ms Gillard said she would allow "normal party processes" to dictate who succeeds Mr McClelland as Labor's candidate for Barton.

"When I announced that I intended to secure the preselection of Nova Peris for the Northern Territory Senate spot, I indicated then I am a respecter of party processes, I was not going to make it a usual feature of how I did my work as Prime Minister," she said.

"So for that electorate, normal party processes will apply, including normal preselection processes for the NSW branch."

Mr Rudd also issued a statement paying tribute to Mr McClelland, who he said "served with distinction as both a federal member of parliament and as a reforming attorney-general of Australia".

"He has been a friend of mine for a number of years and he will be missed in the parliament," he said. "In his four years as attorney-general he implemented some of the government's key reforms including the removal of discrimination against same-sex couples in 85 pieces of Commonwealth legislation.

"These reforms have materially changed life opportunities for same-sex couples for the better."

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: TROY BRAMSTON