Labor’s Class of ’98 GARY JOHNS More than a quarter of the Federal ALP Caucus are new members. What does this mean for the alternative government? HE October 1998 election change. One was even selected under a Just across the electoral boundary lies delivered 29 new recruits to party rule which weighted her vote by 20 a new colleague, Julia Gillard in Lalor, an- Labor’s 95-member Caucus. per cent. Kelly Hoare, daughter of Bob other industrial lawyer, this time on the T Is it a new guard or the old one Brown (Labor’s, not the Green), won left of the party, a follower of Martin in new clothes? Of the 29, eighteen cap- preselection by 1.2 votes! The eleven reti- Ferguson and devotee of Joan Kirner. She tured seats from the Coalition. These are rees were senior members of Caucus, fully is joined by Tanya Plibersek, a Senator the people who are cheered loudest in the eight had served as ministers and three of George Campbell staffer, who spent most party room at the commencement of the these were Cabinet ministers: Peter of her first speech saying she was sorry to new Parliament. After all, government is Baldwin, Peter Morris and Ralph Willis. the Eora Aboriginal people on whose ‘sto- only won by taking seats from the other Factionally, the ground has continued len land’ Sydney is built, and for good side. Four of these were returnees: Horne to shift under the independents, who are measure the ‘Stolen Generation.’ Another (Paterson, NSW) Sciacca and Swan barely hanging on. Barry Jones’s replace- left-winger is Jill Hall (Shortland), backed (Bowman and Lillee, Queensland) and ment is Julia Gillard (Left) and Peter Mor- by the CFMEU and the Maritime Union, Snowdon (NT). ris’s, Jill Hall (Left). Nevertheless, Kelly whose preselection numbers were so strong Some of the freshers already have Hoare remains staunchly independent and she was unopposed. She has been quick form: Cheryl Kernot (Dickson, Queens- Cheryl Kernot claims to be independent— off the mark and chairs the Caucus com- land) of course courtesy of some late postal though her ideological home is with the mittee on Government Service Delivery. votes from holidaying teachers; David Cox Left, who tried very hard to find her a ‘real’ Finally, Julia Irwin, a 32-year veteran of (Kingston, SA) a Gordon Bilney protégé seat in NSW. In fact the last Labor incum- the Party, who worked for members Dick and veteran adviser to Labor, especially bent for Dickson was Michael Lavarch Klugman and Ross Free as well as her pred- Ralph Willis; Graham Edwards (Cowan, (AWU) and Cheryl has an AWU minder ecessor Ted Grace, is a fan of the last of WA) Vietnam veteran and former State on her staff. The remainder are factional the ‘Labor Mates’, Laurie Brereton and Leo minister; and Kevin Rudd (Griffith, replacements, Michael Danby for Clyde McLeay. Queensland) former senior diplomat and Holding (Right), Craig Emerson for David Queensland Labor was not so adven- confidante of Wayne Goss. Kernot has Beddall (AWU), Julia Irwin for Ted Grace turous, the only woman apart from shot straight to the front bench, and Rudd (Right), Tanya Plibersek for Peter Baldwin McLucas was Kirsten Livermore, another to the chair of the Caucus National Secu- (Left), Bernie Ripoll for Les Scott (AWU) left lawyer, in Keith Wright’s old seat of rity and Trade Committee—a position for and Nicola Roxon for Ralph Willis Capricornia. The newcomer very quick off which he is eminently suited. Rudd un- (Right). The gender may change but the the mark is Dr Craig Emerson, former tax derstands the game, his opening line in faction does not! specialist in the Commonwealth Treasury, his first speech to the Parliament reads: In the Senate, Joe Ludwig—heir to the staffer to Hawke and head of Environment ‘Politics is about power …’ He acknowl- Bill Ludwig AWU throne—replaces Mal under Goss. He chairs the Caucus Living edged the support of Swan, Sciacca and Colston (it now becomes clear why Standards and Development Committee, Senator John Hogg—all AWU—despite Colston was allowed to warm the seat for again a strong appointment. He is close the fact that he is Labor Unity. It was just so long!), and Jan McLucas replaces to Bill Ludwig and will catch up with, if a simple matter of geography. He relied Margaret Reynolds (Left). not overtake, his more senior Queensland on preselection numbers in Ben The same generally holds true for those rivals Sciacca and Swan pretty quickly. Humphrey’s old base and the best way to who won seats from the Coalition. acquire them was to join the faction! Roxon’s (Gellibrand) party back- The real interest lies with the remain- ground is impeccable. She was an indus- der, those who replaced retired Labor trial lawyer with Maurice Blackburn & members. More muted cheers in Caucus Co., the firm in which John Button was a for this lot, but these will be the stayers, senior partner, the famous Maurice holding seats that survived the Keating Blackburn who modified the party’s social- rout of 1996. Except, that is, for trade un- ist objective in 1921. Prior to that she was ion official Bernie Rippoll in Oxley— an industrial officer with the National Pauline Hanson’s abandoned seat, but Union of Workers (the old Storeman and unlikely to be let loose from Labor’s Packers, more affectionately known as the clutches in the foreseeable future … ‘stackers and wackers’) the former leader Of the eleven safe seats, including two of which was Simon Crean. Roxon is a new Senators from Queensland who take strong advocate of greater access to the up their seats next July, ten were held by legal system, but makes the mistake of Gary Johns is a Senior Fellow with the IPA. men. No fewer than seven of the replace- many lawyers—equating access to the law ments are women. This is a remarkable with justice. I P A 20 MARCH 1999.