The lobbying for parliamentary secretary positions in Geoff Gallop’s second-term government is well under way ahead of next week’s caucus meeting, as Joe Poprzeczny reports.
One of the first items for discussion and debate at next Tuesday’s Labor caucus meeting will be the allocation of parliamentary secretaries’ (PS) positions.
And they will be allocated on the basis of factional wheeling and dealing, as were all ministerial posts.
Western Australia’s PS positions are equivalent to assistant ministers in Westminster.
PS help lighten ministers’ workloads primarily by delivering keynote addresses at industry and community functions on behalf of the ministers they double for.
Still not clear, however, is how many such positions will be on offer in the second-term Gallop Government.
The first Gallop Government had six PS, the same number as the second Richard Court-led Government.
The Coalition began in 1993 with just two PS but boosted that number three-fold on being re-elected in December 1996.
But this high number may not be repeated because the first Gallop Government only had 14 ministers, whereas Dr Gallop has boosted his cabinet to 17 ministers, the same number as Mr Court.
A trimming from six to five PS may therefore be an option.
The more than 20 per cent boost in ministerial numbers means it will be that much harder to justify having six PS even though this never proved to be a hindrance for Mr Court in 1996.
Three of the six initial Labor PS were Mark McGowan, Fran Logan and Norm Marlborough.
Of these only two – Mr McGowan and Mr Logan – have now gained ministerial rank.
Mr McGowan had been parliamentary secretary to the premier as minister for public sector management, federal affairs, science, citizenship and multi-cultural interests.
He is now minister for tourism, racing and gaming, youth, Peel and the South West. In other words, areas of responsibility unrelated to his previous duties.
Mr Logan was parliamentary secretary for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, Mid-West, Wheatbelt and Great Southern, and environment and heritage.
He is now minister for housing and works and heritage, and also assists the minister for planning and infrastructure.
Mr Marlborough, on the other hand, failed to gain a ministry, so will have a strong call to at least remain a parliamentary secretary if he so desires.
The other three initial Labor PS, all from the upper house, were Graham Giffard, Ljiljanna Ravlich and Ken Travers.
Of these only Ms Ravlich has reached ministerial rank by taking over the portfolio of education and training from Alan Carpenter, who is now minister for state development and energy.
As a parliamentary secretary Ms Ravlich helped oversee the areas of community development, women’s interests, seniors, youth, disability services, culture, arts and health.
Where this leaves Mr Giffard and Mr Travers, who both failed to reach the ministry, is too difficult to say.
By joining Mr Marlborough they are likely to seek to be retained in what some regard as the Government’s ‘second XI’, but they could just as easily miss out if disputes arise within their respective factions.
That said, Mr Travers is being tipped as likely to remain a parliamentary secretary.
Others being tipped as having a strong claim on a parliamentary secretary position are Adele Farina, Sue Ellery, Jaye Radisich, and Shane Hill.
Ms Farina and Ms Ellery are upper house members.
Ms Farina is being tipped as a certainty for a parliamentary secretary post.
Two years ago she considered standing down from her upper house seat to seek endorsement for the lower house to boost her chances of becoming a minister. But she was talked out of taking such a step by senior Labor officials.
Coalition and Labor governments traditionally have fewer upper house members in their cabinets.
Ms Ellery, who has the backing for the party master strategist, Attorney-General Jim McGinty, is also being tipped as a certainty.
Both Ms Radisich and Mr Hill successfully fought-off strong Liberal challenges for their respective seats of Swan Hills and Geraldton.
Labor committed tens of millions of dollars in both electorates to help ensure Ms Radisich and Mr Hill were returned.
Clearly, one reason the gaining of a parliamentary secretary position is important is that it is seen as giving an MP a greater claim of entering the ministry at a later date.
But it is far from a guarantee, since only three of Dr Gallop’s previous group of six PS are now ministers.
Three of the new Gallop ministers came from the backbench.
They are: John Bowler, now minister for local government and regional development, land information, Goldfields and Great Southern; John D’Orazio, minister for justice and small business; and Jon Ford, minister for fisheries, Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne.
Crucial for Mr Ford was backing from the Metal Workers’ Union, which doggedly pressed during negotiations with Dr Gallop for his inclusion in the cabinet.
This shows that the backing of a key state union can be far more important that having been a parliamentary secretary.
Furthermore, all Labor MPs have noted Dr Gallop’s claim, made straight after announcing his second ministry, that anyone deemed not to have pulled their weight could expect to be promptly replaced.
This has been interpreted as a signal that there will be early cabinet reshuffle, probably just before Christmas 2005.
If this occurs then one, two or perhaps more, of the second group of Gallop PS can expect to become ministers for three of the four years of the Government.
Realisation of this has meant the tussle for a parliamentary secretary position is set to be far more strained over this weekend.
Labor sources say that Dr Gallop’s cabinet selection involved a great deal of bitter negotiating, with several ministers being targeted for dumping.
Two current ministers – Bob Kuchera and Judy Edwards – are said to have come close to being dropped.
But last-minute deals managed to save them, even if only temporarily.
As things transpired only Nick Griffiths, earmarked to become president of the upper house, was demoted.
In light of the fate now facing his former chief-of-staff and former Labor MP, Graham Burkett, who faced the Corruption and Crime Commission this month, Labor MPs feel Mr Griffiths’ dumping was both fortuitous and warranted.
