Labor MPs have lined up behind NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley’s captain’s call to install Paul Scully as the party’s candidate ahead of the Wollongong byelection.
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A convoy of state and federal Illawarra MPs, as well as two members the NSW shadow ministry, joined the leader and candidate at Flagstaff Hill on Friday morning as Mr Foley used his official candidate announcement to deliver a pitch to Wollongong voters.
“I’m insisting on a young man, born and bred here, who went to school here ...''
“The most important issue at this coming byelection is jobs, and I want the young people of Wollongong to know that there’s a bright future for them living and working here,” he said.
“I can’t think of anyone better, as part of my team to work on that, than someone who works at the Innovation Campus at the University of Wollongong, than Paul Scully.”
Mr Foley’s decision to install Mr Scully instead of allowing a rank and file vote to decide Labor’s Wollongong candidate has miffed many grassroots members, including others who had planned to stand for preselection.
The Labor leader said he had not been under “any particular pressure” to choose Mr Scully, but said had “listened to concerns raised by senior members of the party” about branch stacking within the Illawarra before making his decision.
“I know some people will be disappointed, but it’s the right decision for the people of Wollongong and that’s the only thing that matters here,” he said.
“I won’t have us mired, I won’t allow apparatchiks or branch stackers to determine the future representation of this city.
“I’m insisting on a young man, born and bred here, who went to school here, through his hard work achieved honours and masters here, working everyday on growing the jobs of the future – I’m insisting him being part of a changed and renewed Labor Party.”
A former campaign manager and ministerial chief of staff, Mr Scully is now chief operating officer at the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, but has long held an ambition to run for a state or federal seat.
For at least 10 years, he’s been named as a potential Labor preselection contender in seats including Illawarra, Throsby and Wollongong.
Most recently, Mr Scully lost the now infamous 2014 preselection to resigning MP Noreen Hay, whose retirement from parliament has prompted the byelection, 80 votes to 35.
However, he said he did not think the rank and file would rebel against his candidacy.
“I was unsuccessful in the preselection of 2014, but circumstances have changed,” he said. “I think a lot of party members have seen me, seen my hard work and changed their views.”
No other candidates have yet confirmed their intention to run against Mr Scully at the November byelection.
Two independent heavyweights – Gordon Bradbery and Arthur Rorris – who tried to oust Ms Hay from the seat in 2011 and 2015, have not ruled out another run at parliament. However, both were still coy about their final decision on Friday.
Mr Scully said he thought the Liberal Party had a responsibility to run a candidate in the region.
”Without a candidate, Mike Baird has a lot of explaining to do as to why he doesn’t want to run a candidate – what’s wrong with Wollongong?” he said.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
