Tag: Warren Mundine

Mr Mundine is reportedly considering a tilt at the marginal NSW seat of Gilmore, which will not be recontested by Liberal Ann Sudmalis at the federal election. "When he couldn't get a seat in the Labor Party, he's looking elsewhere. I guess that's his democratic right," Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday. Mr Mundine was Labor's national president between 2006 and 2007 but has been a strident critic of the party in recent years. Pressed on why he turned his back on Labor, he said "loyalty cuts both ways". "I gave my life to the Labor Party, I worked very hard for the Labor Party, and I've stood up for the Labor Party for many years," Mr Mundine said. "The issue here is if you want to contribute to society and want to contribute to the political space and a political party says 'no' to you on several occasions, then loyalty goes both ways." Mr Shorten said Labor's candidate for Gilmore Fiona Phillips would fight on local issues, rather than personalities. "She doesn't want a seat in parliament because she thinks that's her right, that she's owed a seat," the opposition leader said. Ms Sudmalis announced her decision to quit in September, launching an extraordinary spray at NSW state MP Gareth Ward for running a campaign against her, an accusation he denied.