Qld: Labor clean up plan close

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2000
Qld: Labor clean up plan close

BRISBANE, Dec 8 AAP - A plan to drag the Queensland ALP out of the mire of the electoral
rorting scandal will be presented to the party's state administrative committee next week.

The plan, prepared by the party's newly-appointed Mr Fixit, Tim Gartrell, is expected
to lead to those implicated in vote-rigging to be asked to "show cause" why they should
remain members of the ALP.

Premier Peter Beattie and Mr Gartrell have been examining transcripts of the Shepherdson
Inquiry hearings to determine exactly who would be ordered to appear before the administrative
committee.

"I've asked Tim to present to the administrative committee a process to require these
people who have been revealed as rorters at the Shepherdson Inquiry to show cause why
they shouldn't be expelled from the party," Mr Beattie said.

The Labor Party would also call for nominations for preselection for the four seats
vacated for various reasons over the past weeks.

New Labor candidates are required in the seat of Springwood, Capalaba, Thuringowa and
Redlands, after disgraced Labor figures Grant Musgrove, Jim Elder and John Budd withdrew
their candidacies.

Thuringowa ALP candidate Bob Boscacci withdrew his candidacy early this week, citing
personal, family and health reasons.

Mr Beattie also revealed the fate of Labor MPs Mike Kaiser and Gary Fenlon, both accused
of vote-rigging at the inquiry, were likely to remain undecided until after Mr Shepherdson
released his interim report, possibly before Christmas.

At the same time, two of Queensland Labor's left-wing factions have hit back at claims
vote-rigging was a common practice in party circles.

Union heavyweights David Harrison, a Queensland Left senior factional negotiator, and
Wally Trohear, a negotiator for the Labor Left, both denied vote-rigging practices were
common knowledge among senior party members.

The pair, who have a combined ALP membership of 43 years, said such claims were a slur
on decent and honest party members.

AAP jfs/gmw/de

KEYWORD: STACKING DAYLEAD

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