Daniel Andrews’ government continues to suffer the fallout from scandal surrounding the CFA, United Firefighters Union and former minister Jane Garrett.
As an interested spectator, it has been stunning to watch the rapid implosion of what most Labor members and supporters deem to be one of Labor’s best governments in the country.
Andrews is highly popular and respected. But former emergency services minister Jane Garrett — who is believed to still be backed by the CFMEU — is increasingly isolated.
Sources close to the situation tell me that Garrett hasn’t been seen as a team player for a few years. It’s believed that she aspired to be premier and is unhappy Daniel Andrews was chosen as party leader. She’s said to have been leaking and undermining the government for years.
She’s now thoroughly isolated within the caucus, according to sources.
[Labor branch stacking becomes an arms race, with Stability Pact a possible casualty of war]
It came to a head in recent days with a series of tense confrontations at a caucus meeting over what many MPs believe to be an extended period of conduct undermining the Andrews government.
Garrett has been through a lot recently, having been attacked in broad daylight by a member of the public and now lodging a bullying claim against Victorian United Firefighters Union (UFU) state secretary Peter Marshall. She claims he threatened her, saying firefighters would bury their axes in her head.
The Socialist Left-aligned Victorian UFU is increasingly being linked to sexist and bullying conduct, which is a bad look for Victorian Labor, and urgently needs to be addressed.
But there is no credible risk to Andrews’ leadership. He’s a popular leader within the party and in general. The “Stability Pact” between the Socialist Left and Centre Unity remains in place and will hold everything in check.
Ironically, for a period the only credible alternative to Andrews within senior ranks for the position of premier was Jane Garrett herself. Some think Andrews’ leadership wouldn’t have the wobbles it has without Garrett.
The former minister has clearly not been able to rally the power brokers of the “Stability Pact” to her cause.
According to Victorian Labor insiders, this isn’t just about the CFA dispute. It’s about years of Garrett’s ambition.
[Fighting fire with … what, exactly?]
Given she has very few friends within the caucus, it seems there is now no prospect of her rising back to the top of the party or the Socialist Left in Victoria for the foreseeable future.
It was expressed to her forcefully in caucus that unless she changes her conduct she should resign from Parliament, sources say.
It’s a rapid fall from grace for a former popular rising star of the Socialist Left — and a current national vice-president of the party — from whom big things were expected.
*Ben Chiefly is a Labor activist and Crikey’s man in the room. Know something he should know? Get in touch or drop Crikey a line (you can stay anonymous)
Peter Marshall of the UFU may be right in what he says is LNP stoking trouble in the situation .. .. But he seems to have an intolerant bullying style that is not a good look … it invites the usual prejudices against union leaders (“bosses” in the LNP anti-Union lexicon)
Andrews needs to do something quickly to defuse this stuff, either admit a mistake in going with the ufu, getting rid of garret asap, or something.
Read this morning that the ufu has been bankrolling Christine Nixon in her successful court battle with Paul Mullett. Why?
The other way round I think; the UFU was bankrolling Mullett.
This is just a whole lot of gossipy bulls++t…of interest only to those involved in Victoria.
That said…I suggest you get rid of this disgraceful author, who has the effrontery to use the name of one the best PM’s this country has produced. I am outraged and distressed by his/her conduct.
Not even mildly funny, Crikey!!
And where is the LNP ‘insider’? If you must persist with this juvenile so-called journalism, a little balance wouldn’t go astray.
You don’t have to read it! But then maybe you didn’t. “Ben” is a hint to he not she
Yes, because there has never been a woman who used a male pen name.
Well there’s plenty in Crikey of interest only to those involved in NSW!
Poor little cabbage patchers, still aping relevance.