BITTER: Aspiring ALP Candidate Dr Peter Lynch Goes For The Doctor With Vicious Attack on ALP Colleagues

Factionally bed-hopping aspiring candidate for Deakin, Peter Lynch has slammed those who voted for him last night at the ALP Public Office Selection Committee. Curious that Lynch had all but agreed to join the Right as of a matter of weeks ago, he has the flexibility of a youthful Romanian gymnast.

In two incendiary emails sent to ALP members in the federal seat, obtained by the OC Lynch sprayed those whose support he sought:

I have just returned from many painful hours at the POSC tonight.

I would love to advise you of the outcome of the Deakin Preselection but unfortunately at the moment there is no outcome!

The evening was characterised by ever more bizarre cross factional deals, breaches of deals, defections from deals, absent delegates and disputed proxies.

The formal reason for the lack of outcome is that the legitimacy of one proxy (Left) delegate has been challenged by the Right. The Chief Returning Officer was unable to come to a decision so the vote was “enveloped” for tomorrow when a decision on this vote will be made and then the POSC votes will be counted.

But I can assure you that, once again, the following criteria were considered totally irrelevant by the factional operatives –

(a) Who is the better candidate?

(b) Who is most likely to win the Seat for Labor? (OC: Peter Lynch has lost the seat once)

(c) Who is the preferred candidate of the local members as expressed in the local Plebiscite?

Far more important criteria were who did what to whom in the last 2 sets of Preselections and which Union groups were pursuing vendettas against which other groups.

It would appear that in view of the factional dealings the Deakin result will now be very close between Mike Symons (sic) and me.

As soon as I am aware of a result in Deakin I will send an E mail.

Cheers Peter (Lynch)

The second one was sent this morning:

Please see below for a general post POSC experience comment.

As objectively and dispassionately as I can do it – here is what basically has happened last night.

(1) The Right (LU/NUW) did a deal (without any principles involved) (OC:!) with the ETU/Dean Miles (sic) group (I cannot remember their “official” rather pretentious name? CSU – Community Support Alliance”) that in exchange for support in Corangamite for the LU candidate, Peter McMullen (? and other matters) they would vote for Mike Symons, an ETU official, in Deakin. (One LU delegate who is also a member of State Parliament congratulated me on my speech on the night and told me he had thought they were voting for me but that he did not know as the LU delegates give their ballot papers to an organiser who fills them out for them!)

(2) I was given a commitment from Left, Pledge and Independents (Non Aligned Group) that they would support me as the candidate who had won the vast majority of votes locally. Just before the vote 2 Left Union delegates “defected” from the agreed position to vote with the Right (for reasons that I do not understand but which of course had nothing to do with Deakin or the merits of the candidates) (OC - Actually Peter it had everything to do with the fact that they'd met you and reached the conclusion you were an "arrogant tosser") . In addition one of their delegates legitimacy has been challenged as outlined below.

(3) The “Ferguson” Left group (other names - ? Forum? Independent Left) who have 5 delegates, appear to have had no less than 3 positions! Mike O’Connor from CFMEU refused to attend or send a proxy again for reasons that had something to do with previous preselections. Of the remaining 4 delegates, 2 were going to vote with the Right (which is what they usually do in Victoria) and 2 were refusing to say what they would do and it is unknown how they have voted.

Most likely outcome is that I have now lost by one vote but this will need to be clarified later today and I will advise you ASAP.

I will not comment on the above as you are all more than capable of making your own conclusions from this. (OC: Yes a very fair and balanced account made without commentary. LOL)

Please feel free to pass onto any other individual Deakin members whose E mail addresses you may have eg I cannot find Chris Wilkes address.

Cheers Peter (Lynch)