Retiring Wollongong MP Noreen Hay says reports of branch stacking in the Illawarra – which have been used by NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley to justify his decision to deny Labor members the chance to vote for a candidate – are “a furphy”.
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Speaking out after Mr Foley announced he had handpicked Paul Scully to be Labor’s candidate at a byelection later this year, the controversial MP said she was “appalled” and “offended”.
“Shenanigans – what a cute term,” Ms Hay said, referencing Mr Foley’s justification for installing Mr Scully.
“I’m just really, really appalled on behalf of rank and file branch members that there’s this cloud put over them, or a disrespect to them in suggesting there’s something wrong with their legitimacy.”
The questions about continuing branch stacking were raised in a letter written to the ALP head office by long-serving Labor man Col Markham and leaked to the media earlier this week.
Ms Hay was “sad” Mr Markham had been “wheeled out to make statements”.
“This stacking thing is a furphy,” she said.
“The party will do what they’re going to do, and the parliamentary leader will do what he’s going to do, and that’s fine.”
“My issue is the damage and insult they’re putting forward to genuine rank and file members of the Australian Labor Party.”
Wollongong lawyer Deborah Langton, who last week announced she would stand for preselection, also questioned Mr Foley’s accusation of “shenanigans”.
“In some ways I feel like it implies that I have been involved in branch stacking, which I haven’t,” Ms Langton said. “I haven’t been involved in any ‘shenanigans’.”
“I could have been a fresh face in Wollongong.”
She also said the decision “flies in the face” of the Labor Party’s commitments to return grassroots democracy and take affirmative action to get more women in parliament.
“They’re actually breaching their own policy for affirmative action, which is incredibly disappointing,” Ms Langton said.
“But you’d like to think that whatever decision was made was made in the best interests of the ALP, so that’s what I’ll support despite my personal disappointment.”
Wollongong Labor councillor Ann Martin, who had also planned to put up her hand, said she was “pretty unhappy” and thought “many branch members who have always done the right thing are feeling very disappointed to be denied the right to vote for their candidate of choice.”
She said Mr Scully’s installation was a “terrific reward for his years of service to head office. Now he has to convince the people of Wollongong that he can serve us.”
The Mercury was unable to reach John Rumble, who had also planned to run for preselection, for comment.