Bernie’d Out

Jay Weatherill’s impending reshuffle, and the apparent proverbial pineapple-ing (urban dictionary it) of the Right faction has attracted much commentary, the majority of it very good (Nick Harmsen, Tom Richardson, David Washington (I don’t pay for the Australian, sorry), and I haven’t felt the urge to add much to it. Today, as I was driving home from the gym, I had one perspective that is relevant. It probably hasn’t been raised/discussed because of its sensitivity. Of course, I am talking about the departure of Bernard Finnigan from the Cabinet a few years ago, and the dramatic impact that it has had on the morale and power of the Right faction in South Australian Parliament.

From the outset, I want to say that I am not going to speculate on the guilt or innocence of Mr Finnigan, and will stick to the following facts; he was a pivotal member of the Right faction; he was a member of the Cabinet and intended to be the replacement of Mr Holloway as senior member of the Right in the Upper House; by being charged with criminal offences, he was forced to resign from Cabinet and the party. These are facts, based upon what is publicly available and also based upon my years of experience within the Right faction. These facts have much relevance to what is happening this week.

Jay Weatherill, by all indications, appears to be set to strip significant power from Ministers from the Right faction, whilst centralizing significant portfolios into the hands of a few. Whilst I am not privy to any internal discussions, I assume that his reasoning must include the argument that existing Cabinet members are either not senior enough or not capable enough to handle the lacuna created by the departure of John Hill, Pat Conlon, and in previous years Carmel Zollo, Michael Wright, Trish White and Paul Holloway. Whilst on the topics of lacunas, let us discuss the massive Bernard Finnigan shaped lacuna within the the Right and the ALP.

It is no doubt that Bernard Finnigan is a big man, in stature, and this mirrored the size of his former influence within the Right faction. He was, to the best of my recollecton, at the time of his arrest, the Convener of the Right faction, and with the support of Don Farrell, was set for a big future within the party. I personally knew Bernie, and leaving aside all other traits, he was a man of great intellect and verbal prowess. If his Ministerial career had followed its natural arc, one would consider that at this point in time, he would be in line for a promotion, to one of the more senior portfolios (probably not Health, because the taunts from the Opposition would have been too easy to script). Given the nature of Cabinet in his absence, however, the pickings for the Right are slim, especially in the Upper House.

It is quite arguable that the caning that the Right is about to receive at the hands of Weatherill is their own doing, by pre-selecting people due to favours and promises made, rather than their capacity to ascend to the Ministry (and stay there). If Ageing was a state portfolio area, Gerry Kandelaars would have been a great choice, but he was most likely an example of a Parliamentary elevation made because of the Right’s deal with Left faction refugee unions (AMWU etc). That deal is worthy of a blog on its own, and will potentially haunt the Right faction for years to come. The Wortley duo (Dana and Russell) also came over to the Right from the Left, although I am not privy to what was promised in that arrangement. The facts show that both Dana Wortley and Russell Wortley have been members of Parliament however, since shifting from the Left. So whilst the Left has spent years pre-selecting people capable of meritorious Ministerial service (Dr Susan Close, Kyam Maher etc), the Right has taken the eye off the long game in favour of short term expediency. The loss of Bernard Finnigan as part of their calculations has had a big impact on the faction as a whole, because he was one Parliamentary pre-selection designed for the long term.