It is being universally reported that Eric Ripper will officially stand aside as leader of WA’s Labor opposition today, with Rockingham MP Mark McGowan to fill the vacancy unopposed. Ripper had survived as Opposition Leader for three years and three months since assuming the position in the aftermath of the 2008 election – not bad going by modern standards. However, polling throughout the term has consistently indicated that Labor has failed to seriously trouble the government, and a post-CHOGM blowout in the Liberal lead to 59-41 in the Newspoll published on January 6 may have been the last straw.
The decisive moment came on Friday when Ripper was told he had lost the support of the seven-member “Missos” Left, including the party’s lower house deputy Roger Cook and upper house leader Sue Ellery (not to mention United Voice a.k.a. LHMWU state secretary Dave Kelly). This development activated the latent opposition to Ripper among the eight-member element of the Right which had supported Ben Wyatt’s abortive challenge last year, which included both the mooted contenders – McGowan and Peter Tinley. While some who didn’t like the idea of the former evidently gave encouragement to the latter, Tinley simplified matters by declaring himself too inexperienced. There were also at least three members of the “Metallies” Left (Mick Murray, Fran Logan and David Templeman) who saw things the same way as the Missos, together with factional independents Tom Stephens (a long-standing Ripper foe) and Tony Buti.
This collectively made for at least 19 members willing to back McGowan over Ripper out of a caucus of 37. The tipping point having been reached, by yesterday any holdouts among the Metallies faction had come round to Ripper. Ripper’s only remaining loyalists were the “New Right” faction, which is an alliance built around Michelle Roberts and the “Shoppies” Right, together with Ripper himself and his partner Ljiljanna Ravlich (once colleagues in the now barely existent Centre faction). The West Australian today reports that Ripper retained 12 supporters in total, so I presume by process of elimination this must have included one out of Adele Farina (who has a background in the Centre) and Linda Savage (an independent).
Part of the steady drip of bad news for Ripper was Monday’s announcement by Bassendean MP Martin Whitely that he would not seek another term, which came with a suggestion that Ripper should follow his example. Whitely further complained of “factional bullies who have tried to end my career on two previous occasions”. One of those he may well have been referring to, the aforementioned Dave Kelly of the Missos, was tipped by Gary Adshead of The West Australian yesterday as a possible successor to his seat. Adshead also identifies the proposal which has been floated for Nollamara MP Janine Freeman (whose seat has been renamed Mirrabooka in the redistribution) to recover Morley from the Liberals as being motivated by a desire to gain a further seat for the Missos, and further reports the faction has designs on Ripper’s own seat of Belmont. It had earlier been reported the seat might be of interest to state secretary Simon Mead, who is also associated with the faction.
Have confined my comments to other WA PBers at this point.
Tough game politics. I heard a good comment attributed to Lyndon Johnstone – apparently – to the effect that (being in politics) if you wanted a “friend” get a dog!
A grim but accurate insight though I am told there are some strange across-the-chamber friendships right now in Oz.
I guess its like any work place – you have to work with some people but you don’t have to be or want to be friends.
Yes but will the Media repoprt it – Ripper ALSO attacked Barnett on Cost of Living but the media ignored it.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/12649630/cost-of-living-will-be-battleground-at-next-poll/
Bilbo’s former Boss Sayz 🙂
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-19/mcgowan-to-focus-on-cost-of-living-in-next-election/3782560
Btw I knew Dr Drum whn he was a but humble Electorate Officer for the Memember for Swan Hills in 2002 🙂
The Gospel according to Bilbo is now alive:
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20120118-bowe.mp3
I heard M this morning and there seemed a bit on an edge to what he had to say.
Eric always sounded reasonable and balanced but this did not seem to cut any ice with much of the electorate.
Labor can win the next election.
It was galling to see how easily the last one was lost to the damn conservatives. I largely blame Carpenter for his lack of political nous.
For instance, Bob Kucera, in Mt Lawley, was a high profile member recognised by the elderly in his predominantly, as it was then, old-demographic electorate. He was not re-endorsed despite his high profile although the electorate boundaries had changed a little.
Nonetheless, some young hopeful was parachuted into what was essentially his seat, and now we have a right-wing ex-Jappie as a member.
It was apparent that high profile Labor candidates got back in while the young hopefuls, fresh out of Labor back office, did not know which way was up.
At one booth I was at lots of hopeful – probably Labor voters – did not even know the name of the Labor candidate but the Liberal one was there and had been on display for weeks on a trailer on the corner of a very busy street.
you can thank that huge donation from the 500 Club for that.
RTR Interview with Eric Ripper:
http://www.rtrfm.com.au/stories/type/interviews/category/politics/3465
You could blame the 500 club but you could also blame the weather, if you were sensible you’d look at candidate selection – if if you have yet learned that factions aren’t infallible you could start to consider how long you might give the wildly inappropriate preselected candidates to find their seats and establish networks to help in the campaign before you called the suicide early election.
For west swan I understand there are three or four potential candidates that all will start well ahead of your friend Rita so unless she is identified as at risk and had union guys flown in to man booths she could well suffer the same fate and it will have zero to do with the 500 club.
Yeah Yeah
Factiopns BOOO
Get a new bloody Record
Oh and WWP – is that the same “Inside kniowledge” you had about the Ellemmbrook Railway.
You were really on the mark there – NOT !!!!!!
Stick to helping re-elect Barnett
WWP I think you will find that Rita has already established a strong network including a ALP branch of community members and a strong local support base.
Judging by her functions etc she has built up quite a following.
I’m not sure that unions on polling booths as you claim would be the required.
Exactly.
WWP is once again talking out of his arsk – and once again showing his lack of local knowledge.
His verballing of her stance on the Ellembrook Railway is a prime example where I heard from her own mouth at her Xmas Drinks that the Ellenbrook Rail line will be one of her major platforms this year.
Would be great to be wrong, and a marginal would expect an injection of extra helped for unions in any event. Not to say West Swan is a marginal.
As would be great if she recommits to the Ellenbrook Railway which despite his constant claims the documents Frank himself posted showed the railway had slipped into the maybe category and was not the definite commitment category; which is exactly what I heard.
But talking absolute rubbish despite the obvious facts is a personal second favorite of his after mindless abuse.
Were YOU at Rita’s functions where she committed to the Railway ?
I was.
End of story.
Might be an idea to quit while you’re well and truly behind.
Oh and I don’t rely on the boheyman of Unions and Fsctions to attack.
You must be pissed off they saw through your complete and utter BS you post here.
You are hilarious Frank. Keep it up.
I produce hard evidence – you only produce BS from Liberal wannabees. Oh and so czlled ALP people.
All the hard evidence you produced supported me … go read it.
Wrong as per usual.
Oh and the Transport Committee is more than Ken travers you know.
I suggest you stop relying on your liberal clowns
Missed this from Jon Ford’s Twitter stream re that so -called Powerbrokeers meeting that the ABC led with last Thursday:
Not actually sure if I’m meant to say this, but Ken Travers isn’t even the designated MP on the UP&T committee.
(he used to be, but Chris Tallentire is the key MP there now, and we get regular visits from a number of people including one Mark McGowan.)
Thanks for that 🙂
WTF ??????
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/let-tony-abbott-repeal-mining-tax-says-new-wa-labor-leader-mark-mcgowan/story-fn59niix-1226248886046
From the above link
Patricia from WA:
Have to agree there. Alannah’s biggest asset is substance – she was one of the most intelligent and capable frontbench forces in WA Labor, and I think she’d make an excellent premier, but is correct about her chances of the party letting her. I think Ripper did the best job he could at it, although I foresaw 3 years ago that he was put in as a caretaker leader as neither Cook nor McGowan was ready (and forget Wyatt – my by-election run against him aside, he’s a very weak contender and is a follower, not a leader).
We’ll never have another Gallop, but McGowan is the best chance we have of breaking through – his military days give him a directness and thoroughness we’re not used to seeing in politicians, and he’s intelligent. Labor when it’s dominated has done so through *not* being presidential – they can have a reasonable front bench team with divided responsibilities and a level of factional compromise, and with the exception of Porter, Hames, Grylls and Day, the Barnett cabinet is utterly useless, so it should be fun to watch.
Though why they run Presidential style campaigns is beyond me – Barnett at his Campaign Launch looked so fake – yet they Criticised Carps – and I was there for te latter – shook his hand as well 🙂
The West’s political editor Gary Adshead with Mark McGowan in his electorate.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/video/watch/27926770
I was there too… was pretty crazy! Carpenter failed to convince me with his delivery, it sounded forced. I also shook his hand at the lunch afterwards.
I shook his hand as he approached the lectern – got on TV 🙂 I was the one in the Wheelchairf 🙂
And it’s strange cos he would’ve been used to using an autocue being in TV. But then again they were running late.
I must admit this Lib ad in 2008 was VERY effective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11ghZTF-95Y
Ahh memories of 2008 State Election.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWHd11NkdYQ&feature=related
And the rise of Troy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzXAXB0JL38&feature=related
Mark McGowan is getting a very nice run from The West with all this “Labor’s fresh start” stuff. The banner on top of page 6 today could almost be an advertisement for a “new and improved” ALP.
Yep, but did you check out Adshead’s video ?
As did the PM on her elevation to her new job.
The West said a lot of nice things back then. Not so kind now.
Mind you McGowan has said the right things re the Mining Tax – but when it comes to something else owned by Stokes – well watch the wind change.
Oh Dear – ALP Spin in a Govt Majority Committee ?? Joe Francis should stop playing with his Ute:
Don’t you love Their ABC:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-19/mcgowan-under-pressure-from-retailers/3783676?section=wa
A question from the Centre Manager equals “Retailers”
Oh and Kim Hames re WA Inc – BOO What about Fiona Stanley Hosspital and the Midland and Children’s Hospitals having private company involvement ?
Hypocrite.
Westpoll saying McGowan is registering well with voters but still behind Barnett – Details tomorrow
Oh and Josh Byrne has withdrawn as the ALPCCandidate for Freo – due to Crirticism of his Celebrity Status etc
Oh and Josh Byrne has withdrawn as the ALPCCandidate for Freo – due to Crirticism of his Celebrity Status etc
Ex Fremantle Hearld according to my Friend
Anyone have westpoll yet?
Not till Midnight for the Dead Tree version, 2am for the online story.
That’s weird – he could’ve won it for them. Who are they gonna get now, Tagliaferri again?
William at 84: McGowan’s getting a good run from the paper, but a terrible one from Alston – two cartoons in as many days.
According to the Hearld article a couple of East Freo Councillors and an AMWU person are in the running
Westpoll replicates Newspoll with I assume the usual 400 respondents
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/12673159/poll-shows-alp-well-behind-despite-bounce-for-mcgowan/
And Whitby wants Ripper’s old Seat:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/12673159/poll-shows-alp-well-behind-despite-bounce-for-mcgowan/
Plus a Q&A session with McGowan:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/12673146/wonderboy-pledges-to-widen-appeal/
Well Frank here is hoping a strong local network, a strong promise to build the train on a short term specific committed timeline and her margin should have your friend safe as houses.
New thread on the Westpoll result.