Labor Upper House Candidates to be Decided Just Before State Election

Labor's upper house candidates will not be confirmed until a month before the state election, leaving several senior ministers uncertain about their positions as the party faces the possibility of significant losses.

Labor presently holds 15 seats in the 40-member upper house, but poor polling has the party preparing for substantial losses. The party anticipates that nearly all its second-position candidates on the ballots will be defeated in the election.

In this scenario, Labor's representation in the upper house could dwindle to just nine MPs. Factional groups have been negotiating deals to protect and prioritize MPs in vulnerable positions, prolonging the process and causing frustration among MPs who are unsure about their candidacy.

Senior ministers Ingrid Stitt and Enver Erdogan currently occupy the second position in their respective regions. A deal aimed at protecting Mr. Erdogan has sparked discontent among local members, who are petitioning the party to retain their existing MP.

"It's completely disrespectful and contemptible to treat sitting [members of the Legislative Council] in this way," one source said on condition of anonymity.

An "indicative timeline" set to be approved by the party's administrative committee confirms that preselections for positions currently held by Labor will be decided by the national executive on October 21. The remaining seats will be determined a week later, just over a month before the November 28 election and a few days before the government enters caretaker mode.

Some MPs have privately expressed frustration at being kept in the dark, leaving them to wonder whether they should be investing in their campaign.

Handshake agreement sends senior minister to safer position

A handshake agreement will see Mr. Erdogan move to the safer top position in Eastern Victoria, which covers Gippsland. The existing MP there, Tom McIntosh, will take Mr. Erdogan's position as the second candidate in the Northern Metro.

Labor is hopeful of retaining two MPs in that electorate, which covers the inner-north and stretches to the outskirts of the northern suburbs, though it is less secure than his existing top spot for Labor in Eastern Victoria.

Sonny Stephens, Labor's candidate in the lower house seat Gippsland East, launched a petition to keep Mr McIntosh in the top position in Eastern Victoria, with 300 members signing it. She will present the petition to the national executive.

"The emotion that a decision like this generates among the members is just a terrible thing. It's not what you want in the run-up to the election," Ms Stephens said.

"People feel disappointed. They feel powerless. Hopefully the petition is one way they can vent their frustration."