Moves to install outsider in seat

LABOR'S head office in Western Australia is trying to impose one of former premier Alan Carpenter's failed star candidates from the last state election on disgruntled locals in the marginal federal seat of Stirling.

Louise Durack failed to win the Labor-held marginal seat of Ocean Reef at last year's West Australian election, recording a 6 per cent swing against her.

Ms Durack had been parachuted in to contest the seat as one of Mr Carpenter's hand-picked candidates.

Now Labor's head office wants to impose her on branches in the Perth seat of Stirling without a preselection, ahead of Janet Pettigrew, a local resident and chairwoman of the Balcatta Senior High School.

Pressure is being applied on Ms Pettigrew to withdraw from the preselection, which has been set down for December 12.

Adding to the uneasy situation, Ms Durack has told Labor's head office she is not available to attend the preselection, were it to go ahead, because she is the maid of honour at a wedding that has been set down for that same evening.

If Labor's head office gets its way and Ms Durack is imposed under rules that give the central party the authority to overrule local preselections, it will be the second time someone from outside the electorate will have been chosen to contest the seat.

At the 2007 election, sitting Liberal member Michael Keenan survived a challenge from another star Labor candidate, former SAS major Peter Tinley, who lived in Fremantle.

Mr Tinley has since been selected to contest Mr Carpenter's safe seat of Willagee - in Perth's southern suburbs, bordering Fremantle - following the former premier's retirement from politics last month.