Labor kills off bid to install Carr in Arbib's senate spot

February 28, 2012

Phillip Coorey

A push to have the former NSW premier Bob Carr replace Mark Arbib in the Senate appears to have foundered.

Mr Carr was approached to replace Senator Arbib and it is understood he considered the offer on the provision he was offered the Foreign Affairs portfolio vacated last week by Kevin Rudd.

It is understood the push to enlist Mr Carr was killed off after its exposure by Fairfax Media this morning.

A brief statement released by Mr Carr's office this afternoon said "his name had often figured in speculation about federal political vacancies and he was not pursuing the vacant NSW Senate seat". The NSW Labor general secretary, Sam Dastyari, posted the news via Twitter.

Senior sources said Mr Carr was approached by the NSW Right to fill the casual vacancy created by Senator Arbib's shock departure.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, is planning a reshuffle of her ministry after yesterday's leadership ballot and Senator Arbib's resignation.

Mr Rudd has moved to the back bench, meaning the foreign affairs job is vacant.

In a press conference this afternoon, Ms Gillard said that she would not be drawn into speculation over who would join her ministry in the expected reshuffle.

She said on the matter of Mr Carr, she wanted to remind reporters that "Bob Carr over a long period of time has said he's not interested in coming to Canberra".

However, she refused to say whether she had spoken to Mr Carr in the past 24 hours.

As premier of NSW from 1995 to 2005, Mr Carr is still actively engaged with the ALP and most recently was co-author its post-election review.

Mr Carr is considered a Labor statesman. He has rebuffed past approaches to enter federal politics but would be entitled to a ministry if he did.

Others in line for the foreign affairs portfolio are the Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, and the Trade Minister, Craig Emerson.

Mr Carr is being approached for comment.

Another former NSW premier, Kristina Keneally, has been mentioned as a possible candidate but she ruled it out on Twitter this morning.

Former ALP national president Warren Mundine is also in the mix, as is investment banker Steve Harker.

Mr Mundine said that Mr Carr would be a "magnificent" candidate for the NSW Senate spot and his background in history and foreign affairs made him a strong contender.

"Look there's no doubt about Bob Carr," he told the ABC, adding that he had "enormous respect" for the former NSW premier.

Mr Mundine repeated that he had no comment at this stage about his own candidacy. He said that someone should be appointed on merit and he would make his decision about running in the "next 24 hours or so".

Phillip Coorey is The Sydney Morning Herald's Chief Political Correspondent. - with Judith Ireland