Wollongong MP Noreen Hay has once again been preselected as Labor’s candidate for her seat, after a controversial day of voting by rank and file members.
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“I have overwhelming support from the rank and file,” she said after finding out she had been selected on Saturday evening.
In the primary count Ms Hay received 80 votes, University of Wollongong academic Paul Scully 35 votes, and Wollongong councillor Ann Martin 13.
“I’m unsure of why it is, that whenever I’m in a campaign it leads to negative politics.''
After preferences were distributed, Ms Hay won 84-44, with the Wollongong MP entitled to a further 20per cent loading if needed under ALP rules because she was a female candidate.
“I have been blessed. I’m a grassroots candidate and I am humbled by the fact the rank and file turn out to support me the way they do,’’ Ms Hay said.
The Wollongong preselection has been dogged with allegations of branch stacking, doctored meeting minutes and dodgy attendance books, with Sussex Street reportedly “pulling out all stops” to protect Ms Hay.
During Saturday’s ballot, the Illawarra’s union boss Arthur Rorris and several other members were denied a vote, with officials claiming there was an issue with the continuity of his membership.
Ms Hay said she did not know why Mr Rorris had not been on the list of eligible voters as that was “not up to the locals, it happens at head office”. She also said she did not know why there had been so much controversy surrounding her preselection.
“I’m unsure of why it is, that whenever I’m in a campaign it leads to negative politics,” she said.
“It’s something I live with but there’s certainly no negativity coming from me.”
“That’s why I have the support.”
Ms Hay will go up against the Liberals’ young racing car driver candidate, Cameron Walters, and the Greens’ Mitchell Bresser, who is the president of Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association at UOW at the March election.
Mr Scully congratulated Ms Hay on her re-endorsement and said he was really pleased with the level of support he had received from the party’s rank and file, support which had encouraged him to stand again in the future.
‘‘I will look at opportunities, but my interests lie in state issues,’’ Mr Scully said.
Cr Martin said she was disappointed a number of members were not allowed to vote.
‘‘We had some very upset people at the poll,’’ Cr Martin said.
‘‘We really need to work out a system that is not open to challenges.
‘‘The branch list I was given had holes in it and it was only later I realised how deep those holes were. I congratulate Noreen and will support her, but it is a real shame the process was tainted by what I think is a structural problem in how these numbers are put together and it should be an easy thing to fix.’’
It is not yet known if Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery will re-contest the seat, as he did when he left Ms Hay with a margin of only 600 votes in 2011.
Cr Bradbery has only said he was watching other candidates closely and considering his options.