Wollongong MP Noreen Hay’s shock announcement that she would retire next month has left her party scrambling to find a replacement Labor candidate.
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Normally a rare visitor to the Illawarra, Opposition Leader Luke Foley drove down the M1 on Wednesday for the second time in less than a week.
He rushed to schedule meetings prompted by the unexpected vacancy in the seat of Wollongong. However, Mr Foley made no comment to the media during his visit.
Likewise, Labor General Secretary Kaila Murnain did not return the Mercury’s calls about the party’s plans.
With a November byelection now pending, it is understood Labor has several options to pick a replacement for the veteran MP.
It could open up voting, allowing rank-and-file ALP branch members to have a say in candidate preselection, or the head office could choose to install a preferred candidate.
Insiders believe Paul Scully, the chief operating officer at the university’s Australian Institute for Innovative Materials who ran against Ms Hay in the preselection vote in 2014, is likely to be the party’s top pick.
Mr Scully would not comment on speculation he was the preferred candidate, or say whether he had plans to run for preselection ahead of Ms Hay’s valedictory speech.
However, he did join Mr Foley at the Dapto greyhound track last Thursday night, posing alongside his “mate” Ryan Park in a photo posted online by Labor spin doctor Gino Mandarino.
Asked about Mr Scully’s candidacy on Tuesday, Mr Park said it was “normal for senior party members to attend events” when the state leader was in town.
In contrast to Mr Scully, Berkeley nurse John Rumble - who has in the past challenged Stephen Jones in Throsby and Anna Watson in Shellharbour, contacted the Mercury to say he planned to run for preselection.
An ally of Ms Hay and the son of former Illawarra MP Terry Rumble, who served in the state seat from 1988 to 1999, Mr Rumble (junior) said he was “quietly confident” of gaining support.
Mr Rumble said his decision had come after receiving “enormous support” from rank and file members.
“I've been encouraged by the optimism they have in me in running. [Ms Hay’s resignation] was a shock to me, but I hope the rank and file will be given the chance to vote for their candidate.”
Wollongong councillor Ann Martin, who also ran against Ms Hay in the 2014 preselection, said she would definitely not be standing this year.
“No, I got my arse kicked last time, so no,” the plainly spoken politician said.
Whoever Labor does select as their final candidate will likely face off against at least one prominent independent at the byelection, expected to be held on November 12.
Ms Hay’s past rivals, Arthur Rorris and Gordon Bradbery both said they were still considering another tilt at parliament but did not plan to rush in to a decision.