Senate spot for Shorten ally fuels push for Labor reform

The Victorian branch of the Labor Party will vote on an overhaul of party rules at next month’s state conference.

The Victorian branch of the Labor Party will vote on an overhaul of party rules at next month’s state conference amid concern about a “lack of openness” in preselections, including the recent elevation of an ally of Bill Shorten to a plum Senate position.

The push to give members a greater say in preselections comes as a split in the party’s Left faction continues to have repercussions, with senator Gavin Marshall ­declaring he will try to unseat Victorian MPs who aligned themselves with the national Left faction against Kim Carr.

Senator Carr split from the ­national Left faction in July in order to shore up his frontbench position, bringing with him Senator Marshall and MPs Maria Vamvakinou and Lisa Chesters to establish his own “progressive Left” grouping.

Senior Left figure Anthony ­Albanese yesterday criticised Senator Marshall for making “disparaging” comments about his colleagues, and responded to questions about the Opposition Leader’s pick for the Senate by ­arguing for party reform.

Mr Albanese said that while Kimberley Kitching had the support of “some significant figures from the Victorian branch”, including Mr Shorten, to replace Stephen Conroy in the Senate, he wanted to see a change in the preselection process to give members a greater say.

“I think there certainly is a case for ensuring that members have votes in Senate preselections. That is something that I have supported on the record, across the board, for some time,” Mr Albanese said.

On Senator Marshall’s intention to back a challenge against the member for Scullin, Andrew Giles, and the member for Ballarat, Catherine King, Mr Albanese said the two sitting MPs were “valued” colleagues who were playing a significant role in parliament.

“They have, I think, the support of everyone, not just here, but ­importantly the people in their ­respective electorates, which is why they were all returned on July 2 at the federal election,” Mr Albanese said.

The Australian understands the Left faction in Victoria will put forward a motion at the state conference in November that proposes giving members a ­greater say in Senate preselections.

A source said many MPs had been disappointed with how Ms Kitching had been selected by the party’s Right faction, which had added momentum to the need for reform of the state branch.

“Many members were surprised at the manner in which a very important decision played out,” one MP, who did not want to be named, said.