ALP presidency candidate tipped to split left vote

MUA officer emerges as last-minute ALP national presidential candidate, in move designed to fragment left vote.

MUA women’s liaison officer Mich-Elle Myers.

National maritime union officer Mich-Elle Myers and Queensland senator Claire Moore have nominated for the national ALP presidency, potentially fragmenting the left’s vote and improving the chances of former treasurer Wayne Swan.

Left-wing sources said the nomination of Ms Myers, left-wing national women’s liaison officer with the Maritime Union of Australia, was designed to hurt the candidacy of current president, Labor left frontbencher Mark Butler.

“We want to stop Butler, we don’t want him to get up,’’ one left union source said, acknowledging Ms Myers would not win. Party members will elect a president, vice-president and junior vice-president.

Senator Moore, also from the left, and Ms Myers yesterday confirmed they had nominated, with Ms Myers winning the strong public endorsement of her union’s national secretary, Paddy Crumlin.

“She will run on a platform of ensuring that working people and women have a strong voice in the ALP and lobby the party to put equality for workers front and centre of everything the Labor Party stands for,’’ Mr Crumlin said.

Ms Myers said, if elected, she would deliver “real change and a strong woman representing ordinary working Australians”.

“There’s never been a more important time than now to put equality for workers front and centre of everything the Labor Party stands for,’’ she said.

“Wages are stagnating, job security is disappearing, and our rights to do anything about it are being chipped away by a system that gives more power to corporations than people.

“We need urgent action to genuinely represent our most vulnerable and disempowered community members.”