THE message was sent loud and clear.
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Labor leader Luke Foley could not have been any more straight forward on the matter.
Either embattled Wollongong MP Noreen Hay would go as Opposition Whip or he would stand down as Opposition leader.
That was the whole sum of the equation.
That was the choice facing the NSW Labor caucus on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Foley had called for Ms Hay to stand down as Opposition Whip.
The call came after one of Ms Hay’s staffers was charged as a result of an Australian Federal Police investigation into alleged electoral fraud.
Ms Hay has not been charged and was reinstated as party whip after she was cleared in the investigation just close to two weeks ago.
However, the AFP’s move to charge her staffer triggered the Opposition Leader’s call for Ms Hay to hand in her role.
Ms Hay stood firm and a showdown of the highest order appeared unavoidable on Thursday.
That is until Ms Hay confirmed to the Illawarra Mercury on Monday afternoon she would not pose any threat to Mr Foley’s leadership.
Instead, Ms Hay urged her colleagues to support Mr Foley and declared she would not contest any vote for the position of Opposition Whip.
There was never any doubt the party would support Mr Foley.
It appears a shrewd manoeuvre from a political animal who has had more lives than most cats.
PROGRAMMING SWITCH
Regional television is in for a big switch come July 1.
The WIN TV network was left hanging after Nine ended a 30-year association with the regional broadcaster to instead sign a programming deal with rival Southern Cross.
That meant WIN's only option was to sign with Channel 10, meaning viewers and advertisers would get a new lot of programming.
Viewers will still get access to the same programs, it’s just they will be on different channels.
Other than reinstating its commitment, the WIN network is still to confirm exactly how it intends to schedule local news bulletins around existing Channel 10 programming.
