We don’t want a Corbyn here: Danby

Michael Danby has warned against Labor rules that could leave it with a leader like British Labour’s far-left Jeremy Corbyn.

Michael Danby is concerned about the direction of internal party reform. Picture: Gary Ramage

Labor MP Michael Danby has savaged Labor frontbencher Mark Butler, warning the outgoing federal ALP president was pushing for internal party rules that could lead it down the path of far-left British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Writing in The Spectator, the member for Melbourne Ports attacked Mr Butler for pushing for “more democracy” in the ALP organisational wing, arguing he was being hypocritical as his left faction had often voted against giving party members more of a say.

He said it would be a mistake for the ALP to go down the path of British Labour and effectively give the party membership the entire say in electing the leader.

“Going down the Corbyn road, UK Labour has descended into policy madness, such as the stalled hearings on whether to expel Ken Livingston over his front page bigotry, that ‘Hitler was a Zionist’,’’ Mr Danby writes.

“The power of the extreme-left can be directly traced back to the lack of balance in the recent changes to the party’s internal election structures.

“No, Mark Butler, we do not need Corbyn rules in Australia!”

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Picture: AFP

Mr Butler said his speech on internal party reform was “intended to start a discussion”.

“Michael Danby is a well-respected colleague, and I welcome his contribution, though I obviously don’t agree that including more people in important discussions is ‘superficial’,” Mr Butler said.

Mr Danby, a member of the Victorian right, said Mr Butler was arguing for more party democracy despite blocking the rights of members to have a greater say when he was president.

“During Butler’s incumbency, the ALP National Disputes Tribunal and the National Returning Officer both refused to validate the exclusion of members from voting in Victorian upper house preselections,’’ Mr Danby writes.

Mark Butler said his speech was ‘intended to start a discussion’. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“I publicly opposed this deeply undemocratic move. Butler and his left faction voted down the recommendations of their own returning officer and internal disputes process to give branch members the right to preselect their representatives.

“Both had said that denying members votes was against the letter and spirit of the ALP’s own rules. Actions speak louder than words.”

Mr Danby said Labor’s rules created by Kevin Rudd — which gives the party membership a 50 per cent say in the vote for the leader — struck the right balance.

“Of course it is quite reasonable to say there should be a component, even an equal component encouraging genuine rank and file participation for upper house or Senate preselections,” he said.