Election diary - Saturday 13 July 2013 - Common sense prevails on pre-selections

A sensible decision. With all the Rudd rhetoric about reforming the Labor Party to give ran-and-file members a significant say it would have been extreme hypocrisy for the Federal Executive to impose candidates in the safe seats being vacated by former ministers. The federal body decided today that candidates for the seats of Rankin, Kingsford Smith, Charlton, Lalor and Hotham will be decided by the state branches with local ballots to be finalised by July 27. 

The executive did, however, remove any obstacles to the eligibility of Joanne Ryan, Lisa Clutterham and Julie Ann Evans for the Victorian seat of Lalor being vacated by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Ms Clutterham has since announced she will not contest for preselection.

A drift towards Coalition continues.


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