Jenny Macklin faces conflict claims over new job

Labor sources question whether it’s ­appropriate for the former federal deputy leader to act as an ­administrator of the Victorian ALP.

Former deputy federal Labor leader Jenny Macklin. Picture: AAP

Internal Labor sources and the Victorian opposition have raised questions about whether it is ­appropriate for former federal Labor deputy leader Jenny Macklin to be acting as an ­administrator of the state ALP while at the same time being paid to conduct a review of post-­secondary education for the ­Andrews government.

Concern over Ms Macklin’s two roles comes after state parliament voted last Thursday in favour of legislation that will enable­ Labor-aligned law firm Maurice Blackburn, chaired by Ms Macklin’s co-administrator, former premier Steve Bracks, to make millions of dollars in US-style contingen­cy fees.

Mr Bracks and Ms Macklin were appointed last week by the ALP’s national executive, at the request of Premier Daniel ­Andrews, to act as party adminis­trators and conduct a review of Victorian Labor’s membership system amid allegations of branch stacking.

Ms Macklin was appointed last November to do what the And­rews government then described as a “significant review­” of Victoria’s post-secondary education and training system. She was due to provide Higher Education, Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney with an ­issues paper ident­ifying issues and broad recom­men­dations for reform by March. The final report and her ­recommendations are due by ­November.

Mr Andrews’s office did not answer­ questions about how much Ms Macklin was being paid to complete either role, nor whether both roles were part-time. Several Labor sources, who ­declined to be named, said they ­believed Ms Macklin had a conflict of interest.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman Edward O’Donohue said the “arrogance and nepotism” of the Andrews government knew “no bounds”. “Jenny Macklin and Steve Bracks, the recently appoint­ed administrators of the Victorian Labor Party, have clear conflicts of interest that should auto­matically exclude them from their important roles,” he said.

“Steve Bracks chairs the­ ­largest non-union financial donor to Labor while Jenny Macklin is being paid by the same government that is now asking her to get to the bottom of the ­Victorian Labor Party’s alleged political corrup­tion scandal.’’

Mr Andrews’s spokeswoman said the government ­did not believe­ either ad­ministrator had a conflict of interest.