ALP’s new talent nowhere to go

as posted on TheWest

Despite the presidential-style election campaign focusing almost entirely on Alan Carpenter and Colin Barnett, both leaders have been keen to remind voters that behind them are teams perfectly capable of forming competent governments.

Mr Carpenter in particular has emphasised the new talent he hopes to bring into the Parliament and has even offered regeneration as one of the reasons he went to the polls six months early.

But, unfortunately for Mr Carpenter at least, some of the politicians he wants thrown out at this election will actually still occupy positions in Parliament after at least until next May when new Upper House MPs will get to take their seats.

Specifically, Shelley Archer and Anthony Fels will still be there after September 6 and in the Lower House, dumped and disgraced former Labor minister John Bowler has every chance of picking up the seat of Kalgoorlie from the Liberals while another former Labor “rising star”, John D’Orazio, has a slim hope of upsetting the ALP’s Reece Whitby in Morley.

What’s more if Labor wins, both Mr Bowler and Mr D’Orazio would support Mr Carpenter’s government and presumably he’d be happy to accept their votes, particularly if Labor’s majority is significantly reduced.

But Mr Carpenter’s emphasis on regeneration hits its biggest snag when it comes to his post-election Cabinet. While it’s true that he could have a number of newcomers at his disposal, most notably Mr Whitby in Morley, party secretary Bill Johnston in Cannington, former journalist and lobbyist Karen Brown in Mt Lawley, his ex-chief of staff Rita Saffioti in West Swan and former conservation council boss Chris Tallentire in Gosnells, only two Ministers are retiring — Agriculture Minister Kim Chance in the Upper House and Tourism Minister Sheila McHale in the Lower House.

Senior Ministers who might have looked at retirement after eight years in power — Jim McGinty, John Kobelke, Eric Ripper, Alannah MacTiernan and Michelle Roberts — all decided to go around again and are unlikely to want to spend the next four years making up the numbers on the back bench.

But it is exactly these Ministers who should move aside to make way for the incoming talent. They have had eight years to make their mark and none of them is on the way to the top job.

As well, dud Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich will become the senior Labor MP in the Upper House, making it difficult to dislodge her from a Cabinet post.

Mr McGinty commands two senior portfolios — health and attorney-general — and could expect to shed at least one of them if Labor is successful. But he would have done everyone a favour, not least Mr Carpenter, if he had bowed out at this election.

His truth-in-sentencing legislation, introduced in 2003, has become a millstone around Labor’s neck despite the Government’s efforts to backtrack on the legislation before the election was called.

He is unpopular with the public. If the mention of Ms MacTiernan’s name made the worm drop in Monday’s debate, reference to Mr McGinty would have seen it nosedive.

He is one of the reasons why the arrogant tag has stuck to this Labor Government and he paid no price at all for the Neale Fong fiasco.

Mr McGinty is also strongly identified with the old factional battle groups which Mr Carpenter wants to break down.

Mr Carpenter said yesterday he would have a major say in the make-up of his Cabinet — in the past the Labor caucus has voted on Cabinet appointments and premiers have had more of a veto role.

But factional deals will play a part. The old Right cut a deal with Mr Carpenter and the Left before the election and will want representation in Cabinet probably through Mr Johnston or his wife Kate Doust or both.

The weakened new right faction with three Ministers — Mr Kobelke, Ms Roberts and Margaret Quirk — is expected to pay the price of falling membership after the demise of Mr D’Orazio, with only Mr Kobelke likely to retain his position, although Ms Quirk is already believed to be lobbying her caucus colleagues.

Ms Roberts, a rival of Mr Carpenter in the leadership battle to replace Geoff Gallop and a strong supporter of Mr D’Orazio, appears destined for the back bench.

If Mr Carpenter baulks at dumping some or all of the older Ministers, lesser lights like the hapless Energy Minister Fran Logan, ineffectual Environment Minister David Templeman and Ms Quirk might struggle to hold their spots.

But after only one term in the Cabinet they would not be happy to lose their spots and there are several one or two-term backbenchers who would also expect Cabinet posts ahead of the newcomers.

Ben Wyatt in Victoria Park is one, John Hyde in Perth another.

Mr Wyatt has been nominated by former ALP State secretary John Halden as a future premier and would expect to be first cab off the rank in a new Carpenter Cabinet.

ROBERT TAYLOR
INSIDE STATE

as posted on TheWest