Unions hit back as ALP split over NSW leader Jodi McKay’s role widens

The rift between NSW Labor ­leader Jodi McKay and two of the state’s most powerful unions has deepened.

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The rift between NSW Labor ­leader Jodi McKay and two of the state’s most powerful unions has deepened after the Australian Workers’ Union and the Health Services Union both demanded that she ­retract comments likening their officials to corrupt former NSW powerbrokers Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi.

A long-running cold war between the AWU and HSU — which had backed Ms McKay’s rival Chris Minns at the last leadership ballot — burst into public after the unions released polling which appeared to show Labor’s primary vote had slumped and the party would suffer a landslide loss.

Ms McKay said the release of the polling was “straight out of the Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi playbook”, a reference to two former ministers who had significant influence within the party but were ultimately found to have been ­corrupt while in office.

The AWU and HSU, two of the Right faction’s most powerful unions, on Monday hit back at Ms McKay, describing her language as “deeply regrettable for someone aspiring to be premier”.

“To draw parallels between a sober, rational and objective discussion of Labor’s polling woes and violence against women is particularly obscene and offensive,” the joint statement read.

Ms McKay had said AWU secretary Daniel Walton and HSU boss Gerard Hayes had “coward punched” her from behind.

Labor MPs are split over whether Ms McKay is the best candidate to take the party to the next election, with senior figures speaking on condition of anonymity calling the poll results “disastrous” and complaining there was insufficient focus on “real ­issues” facing voters.

“She’s good at the lovey, community support stuff, but she’s not good as prosecuting a case about the economy and issues that really matter,” said one Labor MP. “If we don’t do something, we’re going to get annihilated … there definitely needs to be leadership change.”

“We don’t want to end up like the West Australian Libs,” another said, pointed to the failure of Ms McKay to “land a punch” on Gladys Berejiklian, despite the NSW Premier facing a myriad of scandals including revelations about a secret relationship with a former Liberal MP facing corruption allegations.

The AWU polling, conducted by Redbridge, predicted Labor’s primary vote was 23.9 per cent, lower than the 25.6 per cent recorded by former premier Kristina Keneally’s government at its landslide 2011 election loss.

However, other Labor Party sources attributed the poor performance to issues facing all opposition parties during the coronavirus pandemic, and said those clambering for a leadership change should “put up or shut up”.

“If (Chris Minns) had the numbers he would pull the trip wire,” one Labor MP source.

“I think Chris and his crew have underestimated how much we don’t want leadership change just for leadership change.”

Former NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma also called for the party to change its strategy, but wouldn’t be drawn on whether the party needed a new leader.

“It’s basically 10 wasted years. But rather than a reset after a historic defeat, we’re headed towards a repeat, but one that is worse,” Mr Iemma told 2GB on Monday.

“These numbers are very clearly saying that whatever strategy has been pursued is not a ­winning strategy,” he said.