Keneally to take seat
CORRUPT politicians Eddie Obeid and Ian MacDonald are in jail, now the woman elevated by them to lead NSW is about to stroll into federal parliament.
Kristina Keneally, who became NSW premier on the back of Obeid’s endorsement, yesterday emerged as the certain favourite to take former senator Sam Dastyari’s seat.
Union bosses were unhappy with Ms Keneally as a candidate but were left struggling to find an alternative.
One senior right-faction source said: “She is an excellent candidate because of her profile but she doesn’t have broad union support. The difficulty for the unions is finding a credible candidate.”
It comes after Ms Keneally failed to win the Bennelong byelection for Labor against Liberal John month.
During that election campaign, Treasurer Scott Morrison said: “The person Bill Shorten has chosen to represent him in this by-election is the person Eddie Obeid chose to be his premier in NSW. Now Eddie Obeid today is in jail.”
Ms Keneally pointed out that ICAC assisting counsel Geoffrey Watson SC had said she was “one of the heroes” of Alexander last its investigations into corruption. And Labor insiders are quick to stress that Ms Keneally was a factional appointment and had never been accused of any corruption herself.
The senate seat became vacant when Mr Dastyari was forced to resign over his dealings with Chinese donors. Official nominations for his replacement close at the end of the week.
The Gold Coast Bulletin understands Ms Keneally finally put her hat in the ring for the seat yesterday.
Her strongest opponents, Transport Workers Union boss Tony Sheldon and United Voice union leader Tara Moriarty, are both understood to have pulled out of the race.
Mr Sheldon said yesterday: “I have not put my name forward at this point to make a formal nomination.”
It leaves Ms Keneally as favourite against former state MPs Virginia Judge and Barry Collier.
Traditionally the seat has been given to the NSW party general secretary but current general secretary Kaila Murnain has said she wants to fight a NSW election first. She will decide who gets the spot, in consultation with the rightaffiliated unions including the Transport Workers’ Union and Australian Workers’ Union.