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| Stephen Smith: I will challenge Mark McGowan if majority of Labor party wants me to | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former federal minister Stephen Smith says he will challenge Mark McGowan for the leadership of the West Australian Labor party if a majority of the state party wants him to. | |
| In a press conference on Sunday afternoon Smith said the leadership was “entirely a matter for the state parliamentary Labor party” but a decision “may well be made in the next couple of days”. | In a press conference on Sunday afternoon Smith said the leadership was “entirely a matter for the state parliamentary Labor party” but a decision “may well be made in the next couple of days”. |
| Smith described McGowan as “a decent, hard-working man” but said Labor MPs had told him “they are not confident that he can win 10 seats on a 10% swing and therefore form a government which is so vital to the future of WA”. | |
| Smith cited economic factors as his motivation for making the announcement, saying the state was “at the crossroads”. | |
| “This is a really important election and it is absolutely essential, in my view, that the Barnett government is defeated,” he said. “We cannot continue to be so dependent on minerals and petroleum experts to north Asia. We have to grow an entirely new sector in our economy. | |
| “Just as people before us in the 50s and 60s and 70s grew an entirely new trade and investment industry to north Asia through minerals and petroleum resources, we need to do precisely the same thing in Indonesia and the Asean economic community and also in India.” | |
| With caucus due to meet on Tuesday, Smith was coy on whether he would permanently accept its verdict if it wanted to continue with McGowan as leader. | |
| “I don’t know whether on Tuesday the matter will be resolved by the caucus or not,” he said. “I will draw a line under it when I have come to the conclusion that the final view of the state parliamentary Labor party is to continue with the current arrangement and I will do that in a responsible way, in a way which doesn’t do damage to the Labor party.” | |
| Earlier on Sunday supporters of McGowan insisted the majority of caucus did not want Smith to step into the role and accused him of damaging the party. | Earlier on Sunday supporters of McGowan insisted the majority of caucus did not want Smith to step into the role and accused him of damaging the party. |
| Related: Stephen Smith makes pitch for West Australian Labor leadership | Related: Stephen Smith makes pitch for West Australian Labor leadership |
| Labor’s spokesman for corrective services, Paul Papalia, told 6PR radio: “We don’t need a leader. We’ve got a leader.” | |
| Papalia described the leadership speculation as “lunacy” and said Smith was damaging the party. | Papalia described the leadership speculation as “lunacy” and said Smith was damaging the party. |
| “The Barnett government needs to go. We need to have a strong, viable alternative and what Stephen is doing is undermining that alternative,” he said. | “The Barnett government needs to go. We need to have a strong, viable alternative and what Stephen is doing is undermining that alternative,” he said. |
| Papalia said those pushing for Smith to take over were helping the premier, Colin Barnett, cement himself and also prevented the state government from being scrutinised. | Papalia said those pushing for Smith to take over were helping the premier, Colin Barnett, cement himself and also prevented the state government from being scrutinised. |
| Labor’s legislative council leader, Sue Ellery, also insisted Smith did not have the support of the majority of caucus members. | |
| “Stephen said he’s ready if asked,” she said. “We are not asking. There is not a majority of caucus members who support him – in fact, the majority is horrified.” | |
| Ellery said there was no seat available for Smith and there was nowhere near 50% of caucus even thinking about changing leaders. | Ellery said there was no seat available for Smith and there was nowhere near 50% of caucus even thinking about changing leaders. |
| “Stephen is trying to damage the WA Labor brand by trying to insert the kind of leadership destabilisation that he was a part of when he was in government at a federal level,” she said. | “Stephen is trying to damage the WA Labor brand by trying to insert the kind of leadership destabilisation that he was a part of when he was in government at a federal level,” she said. |
| Smith accused the Barnett government of going “on a post-China boom spending spree”. | |
| “We see a terrible debt, deficit and credit legacy which the Barnett government is saddling with us,” he said. “Jobs are down, job security is down, [families] are finding it difficult to keep their heads above water and make ends meet.” |