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| Bill Shorten ally Kimberley Kitching to replace Stephen Conroy in Senate Bill Shorten ally Kimberley Kitching to replace Stephen Conroy in Senate | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Key Bill Shorten ally Kimberley Kitching will replace retiring Labor powerbroker Stephen Conroy in the Senate but the development has caused internal consternation within the Victorian ALP. | Key Bill Shorten ally Kimberley Kitching will replace retiring Labor powerbroker Stephen Conroy in the Senate but the development has caused internal consternation within the Victorian ALP. |
| Several senior figures over the past few days have attempted to warn the federal Labor leader off backing Kitching – a lawyer, who is married to Andrew Landeryou, formerly a combative political blogger. | Several senior figures over the past few days have attempted to warn the federal Labor leader off backing Kitching – a lawyer, who is married to Andrew Landeryou, formerly a combative political blogger. |
| But several sources have confirmed to Guardian Australia that Shorten dug in behind her candidacy, which was only unveiled publicly on Thursday. | But several sources have confirmed to Guardian Australia that Shorten dug in behind her candidacy, which was only unveiled publicly on Thursday. |
| One senior Labor figure told Guardian Australia on Thursday evening: “This is Bill’s first big mistake, and this one is a six-year mistake.” | One senior Labor figure told Guardian Australia on Thursday evening: “This is Bill’s first big mistake, and this one is a six-year mistake.” |
| Conroy’s abrupt departure from politics in mid-September triggered a vacuum in the Victorian right faction. | Conroy’s abrupt departure from politics in mid-September triggered a vacuum in the Victorian right faction. |
| Infighting about his replacement in the Senate has been thundering behind the scenes for days as various sub-factional groupings within the Victorian right have faced off over the the nominations. | Infighting about his replacement in the Senate has been thundering behind the scenes for days as various sub-factional groupings within the Victorian right have faced off over the the nominations. |
| Richard Marles, a close ally of Shorten’s, and a figure the Victorian right was hoping would move into Conroy’s institutional role as factional fixer, was backing lawyer Diana Taylor for Conroy’s spot. | Richard Marles, a close ally of Shorten’s, and a figure the Victorian right was hoping would move into Conroy’s institutional role as factional fixer, was backing lawyer Diana Taylor for Conroy’s spot. |
| Kitching prevailed in part because the National Union of Workers bloc refused to participate in Thursday night’s proceedings. | Kitching prevailed in part because the National Union of Workers bloc refused to participate in Thursday night’s proceedings. |
| Colleagues say Shorten’s defiance in the face of advice from close colleagues is partly personal, Kitching is a long-time friend of the opposition leader, and partly a power play, because she can deliver numbers from the Health Services Union. | Colleagues say Shorten’s defiance in the face of advice from close colleagues is partly personal, Kitching is a long-time friend of the opposition leader, and partly a power play, because she can deliver numbers from the Health Services Union. |
| But colleagues are predicting her arrival on the federal scene will cause disruption both in Victoria and in the federal Labor caucus in Canberra. | But colleagues are predicting her arrival on the federal scene will cause disruption both in Victoria and in the federal Labor caucus in Canberra. |
| Some are even questioning whether this development will upset a longstanding stability pact between the left and right factions in Victoria. | Some are even questioning whether this development will upset a longstanding stability pact between the left and right factions in Victoria. |
| The trade union royal commission in 2014 made adverse findings about Kitching and referred her for possible prosecution. | The trade union royal commission in 2014 made adverse findings about Kitching and referred her for possible prosecution. |
| In its interim report commissioner Dyson Heydon concluded that, in early 2013, when Kitching was HSU No 1 branch general manager, she sat the right-of-entry tests “on behalf of one or more of” seven officials, including secretary Diana Asmar. | In its interim report commissioner Dyson Heydon concluded that, in early 2013, when Kitching was HSU No 1 branch general manager, she sat the right-of-entry tests “on behalf of one or more of” seven officials, including secretary Diana Asmar. |
| Heydon recommended the commonwealth director of public prosecutions consider prosecuting Asmar and five others for making false statements about the tests, and Kitching for aiding and abetting those contraventions. | Heydon recommended the commonwealth director of public prosecutions consider prosecuting Asmar and five others for making false statements about the tests, and Kitching for aiding and abetting those contraventions. |