We hear that some interesting movements are afoot at Sussex Street in Sydney, with new general secretary of the Labor Party’s NSW branch Kaila Murnain set to secure an assistant general secretary, after a two-month delay in filling the role. Opposition Leader Luke Foley’s chief of staff, Pat Garcia, has been approached to take on the role as the Right faction’s assistant general secretary, meaning he will leave Foley’s office, which has been struggling to make a dent in the popularity of Teflon Mike Baird. Why has it taken so long to fill the role? One insider says “the job of uniting the Right at the moment is all but impossible,” and with recent controversies, any takers would need to be up for a tough slog. A tipster says there could be a sweetener in the deal for Garcia, a parachute into the seat of Coogee, where he is a local: “The arrangement will see him give him return to Macquarie St in three years time with the gift of a guaranteed, head office approved preselection to contest the seat of Coogee at the state election in 2019”. Too smart by half? We’ll be watching.
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