The Victorian Labor “stability pact” is wilting under pressure from all sides.
The latest threat to the uneasy alliance, which largely locks out and disempowers rank-and-file party members, is critical to Bill Shorten’s power within his home branch, and his party leadership.
The stability pact is the mechanism that keeps the peace in Victorian Labor. Neither the Socialist Left nor the newly reconstituted Centre Unity Right grouping (ShortCons — that is, allies of Shorten and the now-departed Stephen Conroy — plus the National Union of Workers minus the right-wing Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association) can rule their branch alone as neither has the state conference numbers. The result is the Socialist Left/Centre Unity pact, which guarantees certain positions to certain factions.
[Victoria’s new senator could be a ticking time bomb for Labor]
When questioned about the latest outbreak of rancour in the Left and Right — related to Shorten’s championing of controversial Right powerbroker Kimberley Kitching to replace the retiring Conroy — the Opposition Leader tried to speak softly and carry a big stick, saying caucus members should resolve any issues internally.
Despite his weak and ineffective push for party reform, Shorten is a king of behind-the-scenes deals and side deals that lose their shine when exposed to light. This is how he’s built his career and power base, in the darkness.
The existential risks to his power base are two-fold.
The issues and concerns within Shorten’s Centre Unity grouping around Kitching’s appointment are already known. They have been joined by an outbreak within the splintering Victorian Socialist Left, triggered by extraordinary on-the-record attacks from a Kim Carr ally, Senator Gavin Marshall, against members of his own faction and their preselection.
Marshall, along with federal MPs Lisa Chesters, Maria Vamvakinou and Carr, formed a sub-factional “Industrial Left” grouping backed by the Victorian Trades Hall to save Carr’s position in shadow cabinet with the backing of the national Right on Shorten’s request. The AMWU is believed to be the major player in this breakaway push.
[What will Conroy’s departure mean for Shorten’s leadership?]
The entire national Left, save for this small sub-grouping and Victorian Trades Hall, wanted Carr booted from shadow cabinet for what they see as his treacherous consistent backing of Shorten against the national Left and the Left’s leading light, Anthony Albanese. Secretive and arcane caucus rules mean that four caucus members combined are entitled to their own shadow cabinet spot.
In public comments Marshall, who was dumped from the deputy presidency of the Senate for backing Carr, has fired shots across the bow of senior backers of Albanese such as Catherine King, Jenny Macklin and, most forcefully, against national Left convener Andrew Giles. Marshall has said he will back a preselection challenge against Giles, who holds the electorate of Scullin. Giles told Fairfax:
“Am I organising a contest in Scullin? Yes, I am.”
“He lied about the strategy to knock off Kim [Carr], there is disenchantment with Andrew and I believe he will face a preselection challenger. No one has an entitlement to their position, the purpose of the rules is that members are free to challenge for these positions.”
It’s an indulgent, unfathomable outburst given the federal election has only just occurred and preselections are the last thing on members’ minds.
The claims that Marshall will be mounting aggressive challenges are even more extraordinary given any candidate seeking to roll sitting MPs would need 80%-plus support of rank-and-file members to outweigh the 100-member state conference-elected Public Office Selection Committee (POSC).
[Why Shorten pushed for Kimberley Kitching — and why it could blow up in his face]
This 80% is starting to look increasingly shaky for Shorten and likely to splinter as Conroy/Transport Workers Union-aligned elements within Centre Unity express private concerns over Kitching’s selection and Victorian Socialist Left unions and the “Industrial Left” are at odds with the majority of Victorian Socialist Left MPs and senators.
Perhaps Marshall envisages a weakening of stability pact control of the POSC?
There are reasons for the pact and if these divisions continue to widen expect to see why the flawed structure was implemented. The fallout of its dissolution would be catastrophic.
Victorian Labor is a powerful branch and splits on the Victorian Left and Victorian Right could potentially impact on state and federal preselections in Victoria and Victorian Labor positions, as well the state Andrews government and even the federal leadership of the party and national conference control.
Victoria is, once again, the largest headache for the man who has gained most from using its tangled web to his advantage to get to where he is today, and help his mates along the way.
Who wrote this?
Placing some historical context around Labor’s ‘stability pact’ rort!
If Stephen Conroy’s departure from the Senate results in his withdrawal from involvement in future factional deals in Victoria then it would a welcome and positive change. Especially for those who still believe in democracy in the Victorian Branch.
People should remember the so called ‘stability pact’ we hear about from time to time was created by Conroy, Shorten, Feeney, Marles and Carr after a massive factional bloodbath (that they themselves initiated) that saw several non-aligned sitting MP’s pre-selections dumped and a major assault on former Labor Leader Simon Crean’s pre selection during the run up to the 2007 Federal Election.
This so called stability pact superseded all other cross factional arrangements (ie grubby deals) that were in place prior to the 1998 Federal Election.
In what can only be described as breathtaking hypocrisy the blood bath resulted (as intended) with Shorten & Marles gaining safe seats at the expense of non- aligned senior and good performing sitting members including Bob Sercombe and Gavin O’Connor.
Shorten was pre- selected for Sercombe’s safe seat of Maribyrnong, Marles was pre-selected for O’Connor’s safe seat of Corio (both won only after a huge amount of branch stacking).
Feeney gained a winnable spot on the Senate ticket before replacing Martin Ferguson in Batman. Senator Kim ‘Mal’ Carr apparently sat by and watched as none of this impacted on his position and why should he care?
So the movers and shakers in Labor factional politics in Victoria during those days were more than happy to create total havoc & chaos in the Victorian branch in order to secure absolute power, as in Carr and Conroy’s case or securing pre-selection for safe seats, always after somebody else’s hard work and over many years, as in Shorten and Marles’s case.
The fact that this brawl was extremely damaging to both Federal and State Labor was completely ignored by the perpetrators during this arrogant and blatant grab for power.
In another unprecedented display of arrogance, safe seats and not so safe, but seats Labor already retains are allocated to the left and right factions ie; the left would support right candidates in seats allocated to the right and the right would support left candidates in seats allocated to the left.
This results in ‘stability pact’ control of around 80 percent of the central numbers on the Public Office Selection Committee (POSC) and effectively locks out any meaningful input from local rank & file members in those electorates manipulated by the organisers of the ‘stability pact’.
Of course the Shorten, Conroy and Kim ‘Mal’ Carr faction have held and continue to hold veto over all candidates’ pre-selections in those seats at the exclusion of local rank and file party members.
In yet another display of absolute arrogance several safe or winnable electorates have been allocated to various Trade Unions in return for numbers for either faction on the floor of the Victorian State Conferences.
This means any seat allocated to a Union usually results in local rank & file party members being totally excluded from any worthwhile input or influence as to who gets to be their candidate and therefore their Parliamentary representative should the seat be won.
However, these rank and file local branch members are always required to provide organisational support, including financial support for the imposed candidates in those electorates during election campaigns.
The main problem with this type of rort (apart from the obvious principle) suggests that while there are plenty of good and dedicated Union Officials (and rank and file members) that would make outstanding contributions to the Party Parliament and the Nation they are almost certainly overlooked.
The factional warlords prefer mostly uninspiring and unemployable Union & factional hacks, promoted by (usually self-appointed) factional leaders in return for a pledge of total loyalty to the individual factional warlord rather than the Party.
This system of organised corruption is so entrenched it’s now regarded as normal behaviour and mostly ignored by both party members and the main stream media.
The question remains, will Conroy still remain active in Victorian Branch affairs? Or will his departure from the Senate mean the end of the ethically corrupt ‘stability pact’ and a return to some form of basic fairness in future party activities and pre-selections?
I doubt it.
Steve Gibbons
Former Federal MP for Bendigo 1998 – 2013
This will come back to bite him Shorten the bum.. ppl already disallusioned with politics will see this as another example of ‘ it’s about us’ and bugger the voters .. And the coalition have strong advocates in the media prepared to push the LIBs line..