Illawarra Labor MP Sharon Bird simply didn’t have the numbers behind her to keep a spot on the party’s frontbench.
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The Member for Cunningham was dumped from the shadow ministry – having been Labor’s spokeswoman for vocational education – on Thursday after she chose not to contest a ballot of the NSW Right faction in Canberra.
Ms Bird made her decision prior to a meeting of the Labor caucus and the subsequent revelation of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s reshuffled frontbench.
Understandably disappointed by the outcome, the MP said she was “also a realist about how politics works”.
“While I could get the numbers close, I couldn’t quite get across the line,” Ms Bird told the Mercury.
“On that basis, I decided not to contest it; just for the sake of forcing people to vote.
“It’s a difficult, difficult circumstance. I just made a decision in the interests of unity and getting on with the job we’ve all got to do.”
Ms Bird said many had expressed appreciation for the policy work she’d done in the portfolio – including around youth unemployment, apprenticeships and TAFE.
“I’ll continue to contribute to our party, to that policy platform and to take what experience and knowledge I've had and make it available in the party processes,” she said.
“I'm just really keen to be following up on what I thought were great policies we took to the election and do it in whatever way I can.
“I’m not precious about that ... these are really important issues across the board and in communities like ours.”
The new shadow ministry has been expanded to 32 positions, with five new faces – Carol Brown, Linda Burney, Ed Husic, Clare O'Neil and Sam Dastyari.
Mr Shorten remains leader with Tanya Plibersek his deputy.
The Labor leader will allocate portfolios and decide on shadow parliamentary secretary roles this weekend.
Mr Shorten told the caucus meeting his team would “lead the fight against the government in the parliament”, which sits for another 27 days this year.
- with AAP