Labor Leader Rebecca White is failing yet another leadership test, only this time it’s one that she set for herself.
Wishy-Washy White has staked her leadership on keeping David O’Byrne out of her Party.
Yesterday, Ms White pretended her “position hasn’t changed”, yet she confirmed she won’t campaign against him, and she will accept him into her team if he’s preselected and elected.
Directly asked yesterday if she would lobby for Mr O’Byrne not to be pre-selected, Ms White’s answer was a simple: “no”. Ms White then confirmed a pre-selected and re-elected Mr O’Byrne would be a member of a future Labor (Green) Government, saying ANY successful Labor candidate: “would be a member of the Labor Government.”
She really does stand for nothing. This is more Wishy-Washy White at her very best.
All this at a time when we know Labor’s Left faction will shortly have the numbers in the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Labor Party Executive, and will back in Mr O’Byrne.
As the Health and Community Services Union’s Robbie Moore said of a David O’Byrne return: “I would like to see him be a Labor-endorsed candidate at the next state election…and I think there’s broad support for David O’Byrne among ALP members.”
Ms White is in a world of pain.
The fact is, Mr O’Byrne’s comeback to the Labor Party is a referendum on Ms White’s leadership. If Mr O’Byrne is in, Ms White is out.
With Labor members, unions, and the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Executive all backing Mr O’Byrne, Ms White’s leadership really is in strife.
