Labor’s newest MP says constituents ‘want to see me argue and work within the party for some change [on asylum policy], and that is what I will do’

Labor’s newest federal MP, Ged Kearney, says she will play a role in Labor’s national conference in the middle of this year arguing for a more “humane” policy on asylum seekers and offshore processing.



In an interview with Guardian Australia before her arrival in Canberra on Monday, Kearney acknowledged that some people in her Melbourne electorate of Batman – the seat the former ACTU president held for the ALP in last weekend’s byelection – would be “on watch” as she made the transition from candidate to her new life as a federal parliamentarian.

Kearney said her constituents “will want to see me argue and work within the party for some change [on asylum policy], and that is what I have promised them, and that is what I will do”.

Batman byelection: Labor's Ged Kearney defeats Greens' Alex Bhathal Read more

“I’ve been clear to people that I may or may not be successful with that, but we are going to work through priorities, and some of those can be achieved,” Kearney said.

“I think getting people off Manus and Nauru needs to be a priority, and hopefully if Labor is elected that is something we can actually deliver on.”

“With respect to the rest of the policy ... it will be an issue for national conference. I’m yet to really find my way in my new role as a Labor candidate at the national conference. I’m working through that at the moment. But I certainly want to support people who are like minded.”

Asked to express her position on offshore detention, Kearney said she was now a member of the federal Labor caucus, “but I ask people to look at my activism in the past to see my views”.

“I understand I can’t change Labor policy right now, but all I can say really is that I will be arguing for a humane policy at conference,” she said.

Kearney prevailed in a hard fought byelection contest against the Greens candidate Alex Bhathal last Saturday, winning a positive two party-preferred swing of over 3%.

The Greens pressed Labor on asylum throughout the campaign, particularly in the closing stages. Labor left wingers are positioning again to make asylum policy a significant issue at the party’s national conference mid-year, which presents a vexed management and political challenge for the Labor leader, Bill Shorten.

Batman byelection: Labor's Ged Kearney defeats Greens' Alex Bhathal Read more

Ending offshore processing would help Labor fend off Greens candidates in the inner cities, but it is less helpful in major-party tussles in marginal seats in the outer suburbs.

Kearney said she was aware that for some constituents she was “on notice”.

“There is a whole constituency who voted Green for a long time, that, for whatever reason saw in me someone they wanted to vote for,” the new Labor MP said. “They will be on watch I’m sure and it will be up to me to prove that I am worthy.

“I think it will be a lot about what I do in the seat and how I bed down what I do in Batman working closely with the people there.”

She said while some swinging voters were supporting her provisionally, there were other constituents just pleased to see Labor hold the seat. “There is the group of people who I think were Labor people at heart, and for whatever reason haven’t been able to vote Labor in the last little while, I think they are pleased ... I think they are happy to be voting Labor again.

“Some people are going to watch me, and some people are going to support me.”

Before the byelection, Kearney told voters at a town hall meeting in the electorate that Labor’s new policy axing cash dividend imputation credits – a putative shift which has sparked a backlash from seniors groups and the self managed super funds industry – was “good policy”, but she told retirees at the event there was still time for the ALP to assess its effects.

Asked whether she still held that view, Kearney said Labor would always look after pensioners, and added: “I’m hopeful there will be announcements closer to a federal election for pensioners. I think there will be announcements that support pensioners and retirees.”

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Asked whether she had any ambition to be on the Labor front bench given her seniority in the trade union movement Kearney said she wouldn’t turn down an offer from Bill Shorten, “but certainly not in the first 12 months”.

“There is going to be an election within a year. I have to really bed down my credentials as the member for Batman with the people of Batman. That’s what I’m going to be focussing on.

“The way I’m going to tackle Batman is you have to talk to people about things that make a real difference for them. The universal issues were the issues that make a difference in people’s lives.

“Yes there was Adani, yes there are issues around asylum seekers and that is very important, but at the end of the day people wanted to know their kids had a decent school, that they’d be able to get a decent job – and if we as mainstream parties don’t start dealing with those issues people won’t vote for us.

“Those are the things I’m going to be focusing on.”

Kearney said she was “a little bit nervous” of her relocation to Canberra for parliament next week but she was getting support from colleagues across the board. “I’m looking forward to next week. I think I’m going to enjoy it.

“I can adapt pretty quickly and I’ll take it as it comes.”