A Woman for ‘Hawke’ reverbates in Victorian Labor amid factional sparks

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By Neeraj Nanda

MELBOURNE, 6 May 2021: The new federal electorate of ‘Hwake'(Melbourne’s outer West) is creating gender tensions in the Australian Labor Party. The new federal seat ‘Hawke Was named after the late former PM Bob Hawke in the recent redrawing of the country’s electoral boundaries. The seat was up for grabs in the pre-selections and it is going to Sam Rae, belonging to the Richard Marley’s Labor Unity group.

This has angered the women, who have a Facebook page ‘ALP Women for Hawke’ in the party as they want a woman to get the seat. Victorian Corrections Minister Natalie Hutchins is one among many ready to throw in their lot.

A large number of these women including Natalie Hutchins today assembled in the Parliament foyer with banners Woman For Hawke’#HandsOffOurAA. The group was joined by veteran former Minister Kay Patricia Setches, who addressed the gathering saying a man in Hawke is going backwards for the Labor Party. The new Hawke seat is a safe Labor seat.

The Hawke decision is a feud within the Right faction, angering some in the Right, AWU, and those close to Bill Shorten.

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The issue is also in the court as unions challenging the Hawke preselection describe it against Victorian Labor rules.

Those who spoke at the Parliament steps included Sarah Carter, who is likely with others to nominate for the Hawke seat.

Factional sniping is likely to continue over preselections for the next federal and state elections as these decisions are being taken by the national executive, a consequence of all state members being suspended after the alleged branch staking allegations in the media.

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Neeraj Nanda

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