Pike Edges Ahead Of Kosky And Hulls
The Sunday Age
Sunday July 29, 2007
IT'S BEEN unresolved for years, but the subtle tension between Lynne Kosky and Bronwyn Pike might have reached its tipping point.
The hours since the departure of Premier Steve Bracks and his deputy John Thwaites have prompted an intriguing development in the relationship between state Labor's two most senior women, who have both spent the weekend as candidates for the deputy leadership.Ms Pike, Health Minister since December 2002, was last night slight favourite to win the deputy premier role, just eight months after she almost lost her seat of Melbourne to the Greens at last November's state election. If Ms Pike becomes new premier John Brumby's deputy, she will have overcome not only Ms Kosky, but also long-serving Attorney-General Rob Hulls, who late yesterday was shaping as her main rival for the job.Neither Ms Pike nor Ms Kosky would speak to the media yesterday. The Sunday Age understands that Ms Pike was the initial frontrunner for the deputy leadership throughout Friday, only for matters to become more complicated by a strong rally from Ms Kosky later that day. Though both come from Labor's Left, they are not entirely factionally aligned with Ms Pike belonging to a sub-faction.A state Labor woman MP said the two could not be split in terms of seniority within cabinet. "By weight of numbers you would think Kosky has most of the Left support, but I'm not sure she has all of the Socialist Left with her," she said.Insiders say that after her stint as finance minister between 2000 and 2002, Ms Kosky considers herself to have closer ties with Mr Brumby than does Ms Pike. But the same source said friendship counted for less with Mr Brumby, and Ms Kosky's move from education to the public transport ministry in the most recent shuffle may have dulled some of her lustre.There remains an outcome neither Ms Pike nor Ms Kosky would enjoy. The elevation of Mr Brumby's long-time friend Rob Hulls to the deputy leadership would represent a rebuff for both, and some say it would signal Women's Affairs Minister Jacinta Allan as best placed to assume the mantle as parliamentary Labor's top female.
© 2007 The Sunday Age