Taimus Werner-Gibbings will run again in Brindabella at the ACT election in October. Photo: Region.
Intervention from federal MPs and Chief Minister Andrew Barr has resulted in dumped Labor candidate Taimus Werner-Gibbings being restored to the ticket for the southern Legislative Assembly seat of Brindabella, party sources have confirmed.
Non-aligned Mr Werner-Gibbings, a 2020 Labor candidate pipped by the Greens’ Johnathan Davis, topped last November’s preselection vote, outpolling sitting MLA and Minister Mick Gentleman 44 to 32.
But affirmative action rules pushed him off the ticket in favour of left-aligned former party president and ministerial staffer Louise Crossman, who came last in the ballot.
It is not known if Mr Werner-Gibbings appealed or lobbied party figures, but the ACT’s Labor MPs Andrew Leigh, Alicia Payne and David Smith wrote to the national executive expressing their concern and urging it to overrule the branch council decision.
Mr Werner-Gibbings was a staffer for Dr Leigh from 2016-17.
Mr Barr also intervened, proposing a solution involving the preselected Noor El-Asadi moving from Brindabella to neighbouring Murrumbidgee to make way for Mr Werner-Gibbings’ return.
This was taken up, allowing the party to meet its quota requirements and both Ms Crossman and Mr Werner-Gibbings to run in Brindabella, along with Mr Gentleman, Caitlin Tough and right-aligned Brendan Forde, an adviser to Mr Smith and a former candidate.
Under Labor’s affirmative action rules, the party must run at least two female candidates in each of the five five-member ACT electorates and 13 female candidates out of the total 25-member candidate list.
When quotas are not reached, the branch council can reopen nominations, move candidates between electorates, or “take any other action to ensure that Affirmative Action is met, and ensure the overall diversity of the ticket”.
Mr Werner-Gibbings also vied to replace Mr Davis, who left the Assembly under a cloud in November, but ran second to the Greens’ Laura Nuttall in the countback.
ACT Labor has now finalised its preselections across the five electorates and will announce their October election candidates in the coming weeks.
The Brindabella outcome confirmed that 68-year-old Mr Gentleman, who delivered the planning reforms but has since been given other responsibilities in a Cabinet shuffle, will run again.
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