-- Simon Crean was last night celebrating a crushing preselection victory that will pile the pressure on Kim Beazley's leadership of the divided Labor Party.
A jubilant Mr Crean, who had been widely expected to lose the ballot of grassroots Labor members to challenger Martin Pakula after a bitter factional battle, immediately vowed to members stay on "as long as you want me".
Widely expected to lose!! If the news reports/analysis were anything to go by, you got the picture that Crean was stumbling in the street, several knives sticking out of his back, bleeding profusely reaching out to a Kim Beazley, who was crossing the street and very interested in the drying paint on a far wall. I heard Crean this morning on talkback radio, telling us how out-of-touch the press gallery really are. Even Pakula was complete unaware of the incredible thrashing he was about to recieve.
The former Labor leader shocked Mr Pakula, state secretary of the National Union of Workers, by winning 196 votes to 88 in the contest for the outer Melbourne seat of Hotham -- a result that has saved his 16-year political career.
Mr Pakula, who late yesterday was confidently predicting a victory, was relegated to a humiliating 31 per cent of the vote and later rang Mr Crean to congratulate him and withdraw from the race. His decision means there is no requirement for the party's central preselection panel to deliberate on the Hotham vote, and Mr Crean is automatically selected.
The result was seen as a significant blow to Mr Beazley, who repeatedly refused to endorse Mr Crean as he was undermined by Right factional bosses, particularly Stephen Conroy. Mr Crean immediately called for Senator Conroy, the Right faction's Victorian leader, to resign as deputy Opposition leader in the Senate.
"He's orchestrated the campaign against me, no question about it, because I fought for reforms that would reduce the influence of people like him, and he has always been about payback," Mr Crean told The Australian last night. "He can't be dealer and factional heavy and remain deputy leader of the Labor Party."
All this gives weight to what the ALP's united frontbench think of their 'dear' leader "a gutless shitbag"
If I was Beazley, I'd be wearing body armour and walking sideways along walls, heck might even be a good idea not to present your back to your party members in the parliament.
.... whats that noise .... aahh knives being sharpened ....
A jubilant Mr Crean, who had been widely expected to lose the ballot of grassroots Labor members to challenger Martin Pakula after a bitter factional battle, immediately vowed to members stay on "as long as you want me".
Widely expected to lose!! If the news reports/analysis were anything to go by, you got the picture that Crean was stumbling in the street, several knives sticking out of his back, bleeding profusely reaching out to a Kim Beazley, who was crossing the street and very interested in the drying paint on a far wall. I heard Crean this morning on talkback radio, telling us how out-of-touch the press gallery really are. Even Pakula was complete unaware of the incredible thrashing he was about to recieve.
The former Labor leader shocked Mr Pakula, state secretary of the National Union of Workers, by winning 196 votes to 88 in the contest for the outer Melbourne seat of Hotham -- a result that has saved his 16-year political career.
Mr Pakula, who late yesterday was confidently predicting a victory, was relegated to a humiliating 31 per cent of the vote and later rang Mr Crean to congratulate him and withdraw from the race. His decision means there is no requirement for the party's central preselection panel to deliberate on the Hotham vote, and Mr Crean is automatically selected.
The result was seen as a significant blow to Mr Beazley, who repeatedly refused to endorse Mr Crean as he was undermined by Right factional bosses, particularly Stephen Conroy. Mr Crean immediately called for Senator Conroy, the Right faction's Victorian leader, to resign as deputy Opposition leader in the Senate.
"He's orchestrated the campaign against me, no question about it, because I fought for reforms that would reduce the influence of people like him, and he has always been about payback," Mr Crean told The Australian last night. "He can't be dealer and factional heavy and remain deputy leader of the Labor Party."
All this gives weight to what the ALP's united frontbench think of their 'dear' leader "a gutless shitbag"
If I was Beazley, I'd be wearing body armour and walking sideways along walls, heck might even be a good idea not to present your back to your party members in the parliament.
.... whats that noise .... aahh knives being sharpened ....
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