THE Tasmanian Labor Party is heading for a showdown with Labor’s national powerbrokers over the right to select its own preferred candidates at this year’s federal election.
The issue is being spearheaded by state Labor Party vice-president and controversial union leader Kevin Harkins, who yesterday announced his intention to run for the Senate.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last year made it plain, during a Government crackdown on violence by union members in its ranks, that the outspoken Mr Harkins had no hope of becoming a future senator in his government.
“Given Mr Harkins’ career as a well-known pugilist from my point of view there are two chances of him entering the Senate on [Labor’s] part Buckley’s and none,” Mr Rudd said last year.
Mr Rudd yesterday repeated his opposition to a Harkins Senate run, knocking on the head claims by the Tasmanian union leader the Prime Minister was confused about his identity.
But Mr Rudd also appeared anxious to stop the Harkins issue developing into a full-blown and public confrontation about preselection rights between the Tasmanian Labor Party and national Labor’s head office.
“The Prime Minister has been open about his personal views on this matter in the past,” Mr Rudd’s spokesman said.
“However, preselections are a matter for the ALP.”
