Party over for ALP ‘traitors’ 15 ‘told to go’

Jessica Benton
Labor has purged more than a dozen Geelong members for allegedly campaigning against the party’s Corio candidate at the federal election, according to a member struggling to stay in the party.
Jacqueline Henry believed the ALP had kicked out as many as 15 of 24 members whose futures in the party were under a cloud after the election.
However, she said some might have resigned to avoid expulsion.
Ms Henry said she had refused to front a party hearing for the 24 to explain themselves in an attempt to avoid her own ousting.
“I haven’t got a result as yet of the exact number of people expelled but I’ve heard rumours of about 15 people,” she said.
“I refused to travel to Melbourne for the hearing, so I’m waiting for them to come to see me.
“I put my foot down and refused to resign and refused to travel.”
The Independent reported last month that Labor had sent the 24 members letters threatening expulsion for supporting independent candidate and former Labor Member for Corio Gavan O’Connor instead of Richard Marles.
The letter ordered the members to either resign or fight for their membership at the party hearing.
An attached letter from Corio federal electorate assembly president Cameron Granger to Labor state secretary Stephen Newnham said the members’ support for Mr O’Connor was “inconsistent with ongoing membership of the ALP”.
A right-wing Labor party blogsite backed Ms Henry’s claim the ALP had ousted 15 of the 24 Gavan O’Connor supporters.
ALP Victorian secretary Stephen Newnham did not return the Independent’s calls before going to press.