WA Senate: Labor Senator Louise Pratt attacks 'deeply homophobic' and 'disloyal' running mate Joe Bullock

Updated

West Australian Labor Senator Louise Pratt has conceded defeat in the Senate election, as she unleashed on her running mate Joe Bullock.

Senator Pratt said it was a devastating blow for Labor to be reduced to one Senator out of six at the election and described Mr Bullock as homophobic.

"It is a blow to progressive voters that I would be replaced in the Senate by someone who I have known for many years to be deeply homophobic, to be anti-choice, and has recently emerged disloyal to the very party he has been elected to represent," she said.

"I had pointed this out on many occasions that Labor was at risk of losing a second Senate seat here in WA, and I am ashamed that a factional power grab was privileged over principles, deeply held by an overwhelming number of party members and indeed Western Australians more broadly.

"It goes to the heart of the need for reform."

In the run-up to the election, Mr Bullock apologised for comments he made about Senator Pratt's sexuality and for describing her as a "poster child" for causes such as gay marriage.

Senator Pratt, who was speaking to the media in Perth, said the Senate result was also a "very difficult realisation" for her.

"While the count is continuing, it is increasingly clear that the ALP will not hold its second Senate seat here in Western Australia," she said.

"However, the prospective loss of Labor's second seat at this election is most difficult for those Australians who needed the assurance of a stronger Senate in order to hold back the Abbott Government."

Mr Bullock was parachuted into Labor's number one spot on the ticket for the re-run election.

Senator Pratt said she told the party's national secretary and the national executive that she did not believe Mr Bullock had the capacity to lead the ticket.

"I and others warned that placing him above me on the Senate ticket would reduce Labor's chances of holding two Senate positions and ultimately we know that these warnings were not heeded," she said.

"Over the last few years, we have faced situations in the party where factionalism and the power of factions has ridden roughshod over the party and the leadership's capacity to make the right decisions on pre-selections and, on occasion, on policy.

"The exertion of power by too few is eroding public trust in the ALP and in unions.

"This is especially the case here in WA where ordinary branch members represent just a fraction of the overall state executive in Lower House pre-elections and have no representation at all in Senate preselections."

Pratt says union voting bloc creates lack of public trust

The United Voice union, which originally supported Mr Bullock's nomination, withdrew its support and said his comments were "inexcusable".

Senator Pratt said the shop workers' union, whose WA secretary is Mr Bullock, has a large voting bloc within the Labor Party.

"The leadership of the SDA (union) have consistently used their bloc to preselect members of Parliament who are anti-marriage equality and who are anti-choice," she said.

"I don't think this is about union members exercising too much power in the party. In fact, it's caused by union members having no say in the deals done to deliver parliamentary seats by union power brokers.

"This creates a lack of public trust, even in our own loyal membership.

"This lack of public trust has, I think, undermined our ability to win elections and therefore, to act on behalf of the very workers our affiliated unions represent and indeed to act on behalf of the good of the whole community."

Joe Bullock has declined to comment on the statements.

Senator Pratt said if anything good comes of the loss, it will be the impetus for the party to reform.

Topics: alp, political-parties, elections, federal-government, federal-parliament, government-and-politics, wa, australia

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