Trenchard: “Labor” undermined “workers”

Albury Labor branch president, Chris Ryan, was not an endorsed Labor Party candidate in the recent Albury City council elections, but that didn’t stop him from campaigning as “the Labor ticket”. Karen Trenchard organised what she described as a “workers ticket”, with the support of the newly formed Cross Border Trades Council. Neither came close to winning, but that hasn’t stopped Trenchard sending out a “post election media release” attacking Ryan.

Trenchard claims that Ryan “used his Labor connections to bully the newly formed Workers Ticket into allocating preferences to his non-endorsed ticket” and that “members of her team were verbally abused by Ryan”.

Trenchard also claims that Ryan misused Labor Party resources:

Ryan has used Labor party signage from previous Party funded campaigns throughout his Albury City Council campaign, and used the Country Labor marquee in QEII Square in the lead up to the election, in contravention of Labor Party policy.

If this is true, it isn’t just in contravention of Labor party policy. Purporting to be the endorsed ticket of a party that has not endorsed you is in contravention of electoral regulations. Using Labor material from Ryan’s previous campaigns, badged as it was with Labor party logos and slogans, would appear to do just that.

Trenchard claims that Ryan bullied her ticket and “used Labor party resources to undermine a like minded ticket”.

The bruvvas have long had an unfounded sense of entitlement towards the union movement. It’s their property, how dare it disobey orders. Of course the point is that Ryan wasn’t the endorsed Labor candidate, but that sure didn’t stop him acting like it.

Karen Trenchard wants to know if I have any questions about her claims. I’ll ask Karen anything (reasonable) posted in the comments thread.