Delia Delegate has written some extraordinary things in her eight-part opus for Crikey. Shorten-Feeney sympathiser Betty Branchmember has analysed Delia’s collected works and doesn’t like the result. However, Delia has hit back underneath Betty’s spray making for another fascinating factional insight.

What is “The Network”? Former members who now live and work interstate describe it as closer to a religious cult than a traditional political faction. Delia identifies its origins as a faction in Young Labor back in the 1980s, ironically founded by now AWU secretary and ALP senior vice-president Bill Shorten. This possibly explains its fanatical, almost pathological, hatred of Shorten he is the apostate, the false prophet, who misled his followers and “betrayed” them, before the coming of the true Leader, Tim Holding.

The Network has clearly and proudly evolved beyond mere Young Labor electoral fraud and hi-jinks at YLA conferences. According to Delia, it is now “a very significant and influential grouping that is a key part of the Bracks Government and the federal leadership.” It is “an informal network (that) rewards loyalty to each other and promotes and hones talent.” It “has brought through (the ALP) dozens of potential high quality, highly trained and seasoned electoral stars.”

Gee, it’s a shame no one out in the suburban branches has seen all this talent. Wait a minute, perhaps Delia means Kieran Boland, the Network’s stunningly out-of-his-depth candidate in the Aston by-election last year the turning point, pre-Tampa, in John Howard’s successful re-election.

Tim Holding

Delia tells us that the leader of “The Network” is “ambitious and capable” Tim Holding, a 30-year old who branch-stacked Eddie Micallef (Crikey: thank god for that, he was absolutely useless) out of the Legislative Assembly in September 1999, having previously worked in the undemanding role of an electorate staffer for former Hawke-Keating minister Senator Robert Ray. Tim’s still in his first term of parliament, but Delia has total confidence in Tim’s future. Tim is “potential leadership material”, a “future Minister and Leader”. Delia confides in us that Tim “is the Victorian Paul Keating, in style and substance.” Dear God, where’s the bucket?

Indeed, making Tim a Minister is “the most urgent priority” now facing the Bracks Government, according to Delia. Network members employed in ministerial offices including Ben Hubbard and Rachel Dapiran “beavering away” in the Premier’s office “and countless others represent the future of the Victorian right and are all working towards Tim Holding’s eventual leadership of the Party.” Gee, Bracksie the clock’s ticking, mate! Big Tim’s getting a bit impatient.

But, in case people feel Tim has got his priorities wrong, Delia puts us right. Tim “lives and breathes politics every waking hour, is constantly on the phone encouraging people to work harder and longer against the common enemy: Bill Shorten and David Feeney.” Apparently, the Network wants party secretary Feeney’s “severed head to be shoved on a pole” in King Street. Nice touch. Hang on, what about beating the Liberals? Oh, don’t worry leave that to Bracksie, while he’s still there.

The Network and the NUW

Delia has been quite enlightening about the intimate relationship between Network and Greg Sword’s National Union of Workers. Rather than it just being the NUW withdrawing from Labor Unity “to a neutral corner”, Delia is at pains to emphasise that it’s the NUW-Network alliance, with significant links around the branches, including unnamed state and federal MPs.

Network “has coalesced around Greg Sword and the National Union of Workers.” Network members Martin Pakula, Antony Thow, Jaala Pulford and Antonia Parkes “are the future leadership of the NUW in Victoria and nationally.” Indeed, Network is “a base of talent that will soon be running the NUW.” Gee, shame about the members. It’s a darn nuisance that under federal law we even have to give them a vote. (Perhaps that’s where all that Young Labor experience will come in handy?)

Anyway, according to Delia, the “NUW (has) hired the best of Network talent (who) have moved into leadership positions within the NUW and will in time replace Sword and Donnelly as they contemplate the future into their next term.” Gee, Greg and Charlie it’s time to retire, according to the well-informed Delia. Shame you won’t complete your next term of office in 2006 you wouldn’t want Ray Gorman to start putting that around the factories, or your members might wonder who’s running the union.

The Network and Other Unions

It’s interesting that Sword criticises Feeney for interference in the Health Services Union. According to Delia, Sword’s NUW and the Network specialize in dabbling in the affairs of other unions. In 2001, Sword and the Network’s Pakula “had arranged funding for an all-out attack on Bill Shorten’s powerbase at the AWU.” Delia confirms what had previously only been rumoured that their hatred of Shorten is at least twelve months old. Why did they continue to participate in the Labor Unity faction, and live a lie?

Even more startling is Delia’s latest announcement that the “NUW Network group has watched the Transport Workers Union leadership and believes it is weak and dispirited. A challenge is being considered depending on how the union leadership lines up over the next few months.” This is how splits in the Labor Party begin the overt power plays are so crude and violent. And what does this mean for the Network’s Steve Moore, who’s employed by the TWU!

Network’s Hit List

Delia’s truly breath-taking contribution was on June 12, when she identified the Network’s hit list of federal MPs. Five enemies were identified: Senator Steve Conroy, deputy opposition leader in the Senate, Senator Jacinta Collins and MHRs Anthony Byrne, Michael Danby and Kelvin Thomson (husband of state minister Marsha Thomson). According to Delia, these five “will be closely examined . Inquiries will cost probably five people their seats in (federal) Parliament.”

Repeat “As many as five federal MPs are being reviewed for replacement in next year’s preselections.”

Their alleged crimes range from branch stacking through to support for Steve Conroy, via support for unnamed “conservative catholics”. Betty is not here to defend these federal MPs they’re big enough to look after themselves but the arrogance of the Network is truly stunning. Tim and his friends are dangerous people whose first loyalty is not to the Labor Party.

The Network and Parliamentarians

In addition to Network leader Tim, Delia is pretty content with how the Network is doing around parliamentary offices. Network members “dominate the ministerial staff of the Bracks Government.” Delia singles out for special mention Matt Carrick, Geoff Pulford, Rachel Dapiran, Ben Hubbard, Nada Delavec and Matt Merry, who work for various ministers including the Premier.

Geoff Pulford, who apparently works for Justin Madden, gets a special commendation from Delia Geoff is “a leading NUW/Network identity devoted to destroying (Steve) Conroy. Pulford is a probable candidate to replace one of the five federal MPs being reviewed at the moment.” So, you heard it from Delia first Pulford will be the next MHR for Melbourne Ports, presumably. Has anyone ever heard of this guy? Oh sorry, he’s one of those Network “electoral stars” Delia was telling us about .

Delia also gloats about the Network’s influence over federal leader Simon Crean he “employs a number of Network aligned people (apparently including a Jamie Driscoll currently on loan to the NUW for the duration of their internal union elections) and has done so for years.” Whether Simon is fully aware of the uses and abuses of his electorate office is unknown.

While Simon gets brownie points for allowing his electorate office to be infiltrated, other MPs get stern rebukes. Jenny Lindell, MLA for Carrum, gets a gold star for disliking Conroy but is censured because she allegedly “employs anti-Network elements.” What does that mean? If you think Tim Holding is a puffed-up branch-stacker with delusions of grandeur, does that make you “an anti-Network element”? Betty thinks it makes you a sane member of the Labor Party. Keep up the good work, Jenny Lindell!

Greg Sword and Kim Carr

Now we come to the crunch the handing of the Victorian ALP back over to the Socialist Left, or what Delia delicately dubbed “the New Majority” and now the “Modernization Alliance”. Talk about putting a spin on things .

Senator Kim Carr, leader of the SL, is “a proven leader” and “an important and respected figure”. Dear God, what planet does Delia live on? Carr is a diligent bureaucrat who can direct a socialist revolution as long as someone else has lined up the numbers (well done, Greg) and as long as Kim has his clipboard with all his speeches, his procedural motions and points of order all carefully written out beforehand. Kim Carr can follow a script. He is incapable of independent thought. He is an unelectable factional hack of the sort traditionally hidden away in state and federal upper houses. He should not be let near voters.

But no, according to Delia, Kim “has built an enduring coalition with Sword that no amount of undermining will undo.” Gee, so much for the “neutral corner”, Greg you almost had the journos buying that one.

But we shouldn’t concentrate on Kim Carr too much, even though he’s the big winner out of this “once in a lifetime opportunity”. Delia puts us right on how Greg sees his responsibility to the ALP as its national president. He “isn’t going to be bullied out of cleaning out the Party by a nervous Parliamentary leadership or anyone else.” You see, Greg is “an important person in the history of Australia” how dare Bracks and Crean think about winning elections?

Repeat Sword wants his “agenda implemented no matter how high the short-term cost.” Translation the Network and the NUW are prepared to lose State Government.

Cleaning “out” the ALP is what the Network is on about they’re ready “to take care of years of unfinished business.” According to Delia, “The NUW group would rather give a majority of seats in caucus to SL members (than make peace with Labor Unity).” Gee, how stabilising and neutral is that!

No wonder Carr’s keen on that “enduring coalition”. No wonder Steve Bracks and Simon Crean are a bit nervous .. But in case our parliamentary leaders think they’re running things, Delia put us right. “Bracks does not get a vote. Crean does not get a vote. They can talk and talk and talk but they don’t have the numbers.” In case poor Steve doesn’t get the NUW Network message, Delia repeats that “the Premier leads the Government, not the Party. He doesn’t even get a vote on Admin, just one vote out of 450+ at the state conference.”

As far as the Network are concerned, “the reshaping of the Bracks Cabinet is also under consideration”, and even “reopening the state preselections”, although apparently Sword has drawn the line at that one.

Conclusion

Betty is no psychologist, but you don’t have to be Freud to figure out that something weird is happening with “The Network” group inside the Victorian ALP, certainly as it is described by its insider Delia Delegate.

In the 1950s, the Catholic Social Movement and its allies gained majority control of the ALP. The consequences of their power lust were disastrous, and resulted in Federal Intervention in 1954-55 and the ALP-DLP Split. In the 1960s, the Trade Union Defence Committee and its allies gained majority control. Again, the consequences were disastrous, and we all remember the pain of Federal Intervention in 1970-71.

Today, the Network controls about 10% of the Victorian ALP. It hopes, through its “New Majority” or “Modernization Alliance” with the Socialist Left, to gain majority control of the party. Can any observer of Labor affairs have any doubt where the current disaster will ultimately head?

ends

Delia’s response to Betty Branchmember

By Delia Delegate

Published June 24, 2002, 1am

Previously in the Right-Wing, the National Union of Workers led by National ALP President Greg Sword has left the Right and concluded a deal with the Socialist Left to form the Modernisation Alliance.

Crikey has told both sides of the story well, with many from the Feeney-Shorten camp limping to their keyboards to respond on their behalf. It’s all good debate. Most recently, Betty Branchmember takes my quotes out of context and distorts them shamefully. I won’t respond to everything but the main points.

There is no such thing as “The Network”. It was a Young Labor group. Delia has erred by using it as shorthand. There is no Network. There is a group of people who were once involved with Network during Young Labor but no longer. Don’t get hung up about Network, it doesn’t exist. Unlike Chambray MBA Bill Shorten who was involved at the start of the group there is no shame in being associated with Network but it no longer really exists in the way it once did.

To describe those associated with the NUW but not directly involved as Network is also wrong. Matt Viney is one of us. He was not involved in Young Labor. Bob Stensholt is the same. So blaming and throwing muck at Network is confusing and inaccurate.

The innuendo about Network’s Young Labor “electoral fraud” is nothing compared with Steve Conroy’s activities. Conroy’s conduct during the Labor Unity executive elections was deplorable. The faction secretary – known as Steve’s lapdog with a laptop – conducted the ballot in a way that favoured Conroy’s candidates and Feeney’s candidates and ruthlessly discriminated against those friendly with the NUW. No list of voters was made available despite repeated requests, no constitution of Labor Unity, or rules of the ballot or an accounting of the money of the group. Conroy has steadfastly refused to hand over details of the Labor Unity bank accounts which receive funds from membership subscriptions every year. None of this information has been made available to anyone associated with the NUW group and many suspect the worst about how this money has been used. Conroy regards that account, the LU membership list and even the rules of the group to be his personal possession. Conroy’s Stalinism is in a much purer form than Kim Il Carr’s: he’s more Albania 1968 than North Korea 2002.

Betty’s sinister attack on Aston byelection star Kieran Boland was pathetic, Boland was a young and brilliant candidate who did extremely well in tough circumstances in a campaign directed by David Feeney (enough said). Aston was always going to be difficult on demographics and Boland’s hard work and guts was impressive to everyone. Feeney said he was a great candidate.

The attack on Tim Holding is equally shallow. No substantial criticism has been made of this young and capable MP, destined many think to be the next Premier of Victoria, after a very long Bracks innings. He has rebuilt the ALP in Springvale and part of that is a strong base of membership support.

The misquoting that Sword and Donnelly were to be replaced by their young supporters is false too. There is an election on currently which will see both of them get re-elected for four years, so that really was a beat-up.

There are mixed reports about the AWU campaign last year. Delia had heard Pakula was involved in arranging funding but no longer believes it. Would have been a good idea to test the chambray MBA man though with his members.

Betty thinks the hatred of Shorten is at least twelve months old. Try ten years.

Steve Moore is not employed by the TWU. He was once the Legal and Planning Officer of the TWU but is now a barrister specialising in industrial law. He would not have any involvement in or participation in any TWU election now.

Betty is also eerily silent about the five federal MP’s known to oppose Modernisation. Not a word of defence of any of them. Betty says I say they are involved in branchstacking. True. That they are associated with “unnamed ‘conservative catholics'”.

Prominent Conservative Catholics in the Australian Labor Party in Victoria

You want the truth, Betty, you can’t handle the truth. Delia presents a list of the previously unnamed conservative catholics who dominate the Shop Assistants Union (SDA) which has dominated recent preselections in the ALP but is now locked out by the superiority of the Modernisation Alliance.

Joe de Bruyn – National Secretary, national spokesman on the rights of embryos and ALP National Executive powerbroker.

Also involved in the ALP at varying levels are the following apparatchicks of the SDA:

Michael Donovan – Victorian State Secretary, known on the Road

Chris Gazenbeck – Organiser

Wade Noonan – Recruiter – Son of TWU Secretary Bill Noonan

Stephen Donnelly – Recruiter – Young Labor bovver boy and menace, known associate of conservative catholics on Roxon, Lindell and Byrne’s staff

Anna Scott – Organiser

Anthony Burke – Researcher

Denis Parker – Senior Organiser – known for involvement in factional powergames

Joe Cerritelli – Training Officer – known suspect in reform groups against Alliance unions

John Boyle – Information Officer

Anthony Byrne – MP for Holt, to be replaced in preselections, known to have once worked for SDA

Jacinta Collins – Senator, facing replacement, known to have once worked for SDA

Michael Danby – MP for Melbourne Ports, once worked for SDA

Kelvin Thomson – MP for Wills, known to be aligned to SDA conservative catholic elements

Steve Conroy – Senator, facing replacement, once worked for TWU but known to be closely aligned to social conservative opinion while attempting to present a face of independence from the SDA despite being heavily backed by them

Ian Maxfield – State MLA – formerly at SDA, going to lose seat probably anyway.

Bill Shorten/David Feeney – Can we read anymore about these two legends in their own long lunch-times?

The SDA adopts a sinister intervention in the affairs of the Labor Party in an attempt to dominate its social agenda, on stem cell research, abortion, drugs, education. It is an organisation that runs an Australian Gown of the Year competition, the equivalent of a Miss SDA quest. OK, they represent models but that’s ridiculous.

Its views are not exactly what you might expect from a union. Fiercely opposed to the rights of women, it is entirely consistent with the social conservatism of Feeney, Conroy, Shorten and their mates. Feeney is not Jewish as Crikey believed and is definitely part of the SDA conservative culture like chum Shorten.

Betty moves on to chew on Jeff Pulford claiming he’s set to replace rightwing Michael Danby in Melbourne Ports. Danby is believed to be considering retirement at the next election so there may be a vacancy but it will go to the Left based on previous FEA election results, which Danby let slide.

Betty lies about Crean’s staff member Jamie Driscoll. Isn’t it interesting to see those who attempted to cloak their candidates in a Crean Coat of Modernisation now accusing the Federal Leader of illegally supplying his taxpayer funded staff to the NUW for election campaigning. This is hypocrisy.

Kim Il Carr certainly has his faults and I have not been quiet in expressing them. But he is a proven leader who has formed a majority Modernisation Alliance which has achieved the previously unthinkable: the defeat of Shorten, the chopping up of the Feeney carcass and the distribution of the parts around the feasting table of Admin.

Carr makes the point well, the Right-wing says he cost votes. Prove it, he challenges. Getting Murdoch and Packer to vilify Carr is easy but is there ever proof that Carr is known and disliked by voters. If he’s not known he can’t cost votes. He doesn’t cost a single vote and never has, he gets us votes by building our policy credibility. He is a part of the Party and we’re happy to take his union’s affiliation fees but want to be able to call him a vote loser. Sword works well with Carr. And that means a majority has been achieved. The NUW are happy to work with Kim Il Carr while Conroy has been busy attempting to destroy him. Who’s smarter now?

Betty says Sword is happy to cost Bracks/Crean government. Crap. Sword has built a new alliance for modernisation committed to supporting Bracks/Crean. He has brought the Socialist Left to adopt positions they would never have done previously. He is changing factionalism forever.

Betty saves the worst for last. She writes that Network is the NCC and Hartley combined. A fascinating accusation considering Betty is probably on a conservative catholic payroll somewhere.

She says that the consequence of the forming of the Modernisation Alliance is a split or federal intervention. A split is very unlikely, except for Bill Shorten’s turncoat mate Dean Mighell who joined the Greens. Federal intervention is unlikely too considering who the Federal President is. Guess who?

Love to all my fans, Delia