Intense jostling for positions on the upper house Labor ticket is under way before the party’s state conference in mid-October,when delegates will vote to finalise ALP candidates.
There is already one vacancy on the ticket,former frontbencher Walt Secord confirminghe will not contest the election due to bullying allegations made against him. However,it is likely two other MPs – Adam Searle and Shaoquett Moselmane – will not be preselected.
One senior party source said Labor had an “embarrassment of riches” when it came to candidates wanting to run for the Legislative Council,with “a broad mix of people,skills and talent”.
“It is symbolic that there are so many people who are coming forward and are keen to run for the party in the upper house,and it is a sign that NSW Labor is finally heading in the right direction,” said the source,who was not permitted to comment publicly.
Searle,who has switched factions,does not have enough internal support to retain his seat.
There is also concern about running Moselmane,who was briefly suspended from the Labor Party after he was raided by the Australian Federal Police following allegations his office was being cultivated by Chinese government agents. He was not a suspect in any investigation.