Kristina Keneally defends Labor's ruthless kingpins, Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid
Gemma Jones and Simon Benson
The Daily Telegraph
December 05, 2009 12:21AM
NEW Premier Kristina Keneally yesterday declared she would keep Labor warlords Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid as her mentors, describing them as "popular".
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, she denied she was a "puppet" and defended the men who helped her into power, claiming they had "served the community well".
Ms Keneally praised the pair that ousted premier Nathan Rees labelled as "disloyal and treacherous" and said she did not believe his description of them was true. But an angry Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday refused to endorse Ms Keneally.
"The people of NSW are now expecting better government," he said.
"I would suggest that the new Premier of NSW get on with the job as of today."
Senior sources said Mr Rudd was furious that, after having backed Mr Rees as premier, the NSW Labor Party "stuck their fingers up at him" and sacked him.
"It's safe to say he is not a very happy man," the source said. Ms Keneally was branded a "puppet" of Mr Tripodi and
Mr Obeid on Thursday and, when asked if she thought the stinging assessment of the pair as cancers on the party was true, Ms Keneally said: "No."
"I think that yesterday was a very difficult day for Nathan Rees. I don't believe those statements reflect well on the
party and I don't think they reflect what I would have thought was Nathan's genuine belief," she said.
The new Premier, who was handed the job by Mr Tripodi and Mr Obeid whose Right faction supported her, even defended their record of service to NSW.
"Both of those members have served as ministers in different cabinets and both of those people have served their communities well," Ms Keneally said.
"Joe is a very popular local member in his community."
Mr Rees sought a change to party rules at last months' state Labor conference to get rid of Mr Tripodi from cabinet.
Mr Obeid hit back last night, accusing Mr Rees of lying to "slander" him and Mr Tripodi because it was convenient.
When asked if she would continue to take their advice, Ms Keneally said she would continue taking the advice of all MPs.
"Particularly once you have been elected leader it is essential you talk to your caucus colleagues, all of them, and you work with your caucus colleagues, all of them," Ms Keneally said.
In a further sign that Ms Keneally will be unable to throw off the shackles of the past, she last night appointed Walt Secord, the Canadian-born former adviser to Mr Rudd and former premier Bob Carr, as her chief of staff.
Mr Secord was until yesterday, the chief of staff to NSW Treasurer Eric Roozendaal.
While Mr Tripodi will be left out of her Cabinet, leadership rival Frank Sartor will be welcomed in and Ms Keneally declined to say if former health minister John Della Bosca, who resigned over an extra marital affair three months ago, would make a comeback.
A source yesterday said both Ms Keneally and Mr Sartor had offered Mr Della Bosca a cabinet seat if he supported them.
Walt Secord……Ahem…Any thought of this Woman been ignorant or naive or been a babe in the woods and not totally aware of the malignant culpability of her Party and her back door men aka. “Puppeteers” FACELESS MEN of the ALP is now officially defunct, she is obviously one of THEM.
See:
Kristina Keneally:Toledo Ohio Woman now Premier of NSW Australia.
You can change the lid on a garbage bin but it's still a load of crap. Does anyone really think that Keneally can take the reins off Tripodi and Obeid? NSW voters really need to wise up.
ReplyDeleteWell you are right,however It appears she is no babe in the woods having her strings pulled by these two arse holes "leave my mates alone" she said when defending them.
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder what they have got on her.
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