Minns works the phone to shore up Labor support as Daley circles

Former NSW Labor leader Michael Daley is resisting pressure to bow out of the race for the party’s leadership, strongly indicating on Saturday that he would contest a ballot against two-time previous contender Chris Minns.

Mr Minns is spending the weekend on the phone convincing caucus colleagues that he is capable of healing the deeply divided party as he prepares to nominate for the position in the next 24 hours.

Kogarah MP Chris Minns and sons Joe and Nick on Saturday.Credit: Steven Siewert

As Mr Minns worked to secure support on Saturday for a quick leadership transition, Mr Daley said party members “must get their say” on their next leader, in the strongest indication yet that he will contest the position.

Mr Daley, a former Labor leader who lost the 2019 election, tweeted that he was “sorry to have seen that Jodi [McKay] was forced out” and that members should get their say on the next Labor leader.

The Maroubra MP did not return calls from The Sun-Herald but said in his tweet that he would have “more to say soon”.

He is due to make a public appearance in Randwick on Sunday where he will attend a rally with Coogee MP Marjorie O’Neill and union leaders.

Mr Minns is is believed to have the backing of the party’s Sussex Street head office. Several federal MPs also told The Sun-Herald they believed the party had no choice but to make Mr Minns leader.

Mr Minns said on Saturday he was calling caucus colleagues to hear their thoughts on the party’s future.

“I’ve got to keep talking to colleagues and listen to what they’re saying about the future of the party,” he told The Sun-Herald. “It’s a lot of time on the phone and we’ve got a lot of things to work through.”

Asked whether he would include Ms McKay on the Labor frontbench if he were to take the Labor leadership, Mr Minns said he still needed to have that discussion.

“I’ve just got to talk to Jodi and colleagues about my next steps ... I’ve got to speak to everybody about the future direction of the party,” the Kogarah MP said.

Mr Minns, who has twice unsuccessfully contested the leadership, believes Ms McKay’s resignation on Friday along with her deputy Yasmin Catley was a major step towards healing the party.

“I think we can heal. The focus has got to be on the future – we have a fantastic caucus,” he said.

“I think that Jodi and Yasmin’s leadership in their decision in the last few days has been very important in bringing everyone together.”

Acting Labor leader Adam Searle said it had been a “very bruising week” and “everyone is just taking stock” over the weekend.

“We have to see which leadership candidates emerge and have a process of choosing a leader we think has the best mix of skills to put the best foot forward at the next election,” he said.

“It is important that people honour the result. We will have a clearer picture by the end of the week.”

Labor MPs, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mr Daley was calling around seeking support from his colleagues at the weekend.

Some doubted he would win a caucus ballot and said that there was little appetite within the broader party for an expensive ballot of rank and file members, which would take weeks.

Mr Minns is believed to have the support of the NSW Labor general secretary Bob Nanva, a former Rail Train and Bus Union national secretary who replaced Kaila Murnain in 2019. Mr Nanva did not return calls on Saturday.

Labor insiders fear a bruising leadership contest between the pair over the coming weeks will be damaging for the party, two years out from the next state election.

“Another leadership ballot is in no one’s interest. The cost of a rank-and-file ballot is financially crippling,” one said.

Labor health spokesman Ryan Park was last week ruled out of the leadership race.

Support for Mr Minns among federal Labor MPs from NSW was growing over the weekend, with senior MPs saying it was hard to see how the party could choose Mr Daley.

“They won’t go back to Daley and no one else is putting their hand up. It’s Minns, but it will be messy for a while,” one federal MP said.

A second federal MP said it would be a big surprise if the party returned to Mr Daley, given his past comments about young Sydneysiders being replaced by workers from Asia.

”People still remember that comment. There would be a lot of unrest in the party if they went back to him,” the MP said.

with James Massola

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