[Sounds of Paul setting up]

PAUL:

Okay it’s ahh…sorry, it’s rolling…testing 1, 2, 3…yes it’s working.

[Video call chime]

ELLE:

Paul, hi, it's Elle Marsh here, filling in for Ruby Jones.

PAUL:

Oh, hi, Elle. Where's Ruby? Is she in hiding somewhere?

ELLE:

She's off sick today.

PAUL:

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better soon. But, still, nice talking to you.

ELLE:

Thanks Paul.

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ELLE:

From Schwartz Media, I’m Elle Marsh, this is 7am.

The death of Labor senator Kimberley Kitching has ignited claims of bullying within the party.

Meanwhile, heavy losses for the Liberals in the South Australian election could have dire implications for Scott Morrison.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the unseen forces driving both stories.

It’s Friday, March 25.

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ELLE:

Paul, let's jump in. Can you explain to me what has happened this week following the death of Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching?

PAUL:

Oh, ok Elle. This is a complicated and at times ugly story.

Kimberley Kitching was a Labour senator for Victoria. She was a player in a sub-faction of the right in that state, closely associated with former federal leader Bill Shorten, and was a close family friend of Bill's.

Archival Tape -- Senate President:

“Senator Kitching.”

Archival Tape -- Kimberley Kitching:

“Thank you, Mr President…”

PAUL:

When Stephen Conroy quit the Senate in 2016, Shorten parachuted her into the vacancy as a captain's pick, brushing aside fierce resistance in the branch.

Archival Tape -- Kimberley Kitching:

My leader and dear friend Bill Shorten set this exciting challenge for me and as a former Queenslander who grew up swimming, a proud holder of a bronze medallion, who continues to enjoy swimming in Victoria's chilly waters, I am daunted yet delighted to be thrown in the deep end right here and now.

PAUL:

Well, she was a controversial and sometimes divisive figure within the party, she was a China hawk and joined a group in Canberra called the Wolverines, which was largely made up of MPs from the other side of politics.

Archival Tape -- Kimberley Kitching:

Some senators arrive to this chamber with great fanfare, some with universal praise, some with stringent criticism from the political commentariat and some are barely noticed at all. I want to record here that I embrace all of it—the good, the bad and the ugly…

PAUL:

She was a dedicated human rights campaigner and played a significant role, pushing for the so-called Magnitsky Law, enabling Australia to sanction foreign individuals who abuse human rights. And two weeks ago she died suddenly of a suspected heart attack. She was just 52 years old.

Archival Tape -- News Anchor (ABC):

“Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching has died of a suspected heart attack in Melbourne, sending shockwaves through Australian political circles this morning…”

PAUL:

Now since her death, stories have appeared, initiated in the Murdoch papers, saying that she was bullied by so-called “mean girls” within Labor's Senate leadership - Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher

Archival Tape -- Andrew Bolt (Sky News):

“Three of the women she named the Mean Girls, well, they denied ever happened. And I guess Kimberley must have just made it all up!”

PAUL:

The stories weaponised Kitching's death against the Labor Party, and they claimed Kitching was picked on, that she was excluded from decisions and a key committee.

Archival Tape -- Andrew Bolt (Sky News):

“Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching, friend of mine who died of a suspected heart attack a week ago after telling friends that any of the stress that she was under from bullying by people in her own party…”

PAUL:

They claim that her life was basically made unbearable by these senior women in the party.

Archival Tape -- Andrew Bolt (Sky News):

“There is a cantankerous cabal that really went for her. And she deserved so much better…”

PAUL:

The Herald Sun in Melbourne went so far as to directly blame the tensions for the senator's untimely death. Brushing aside her known chronic thyroid condition, which her family, according to a close friend, believes was the immediate cause of the death.

ELLE:

And so where are these stories coming from and what is the substance of this?

PAUL:

Well, Elle, there is certainly substance to heated disagreements and perceptions. Kitching was not seen as a team player. This led to confrontations with senior Labor figures, although bullying is firmly denied.

Archival Tape -- Chris Uhlmann (The Today Show):

“Did you bully and harrass Kimberley Kitching?”

Archival Tape -- Penny Wong:

“No I did not. And- and I-...”

PAUL:

Wong did admit to directing an offensive remark at Kitching on one occasion, but said she had apologised and believed her apology was accepted.

Archival Tape -- Penny Wong:

“What I said was insensitive. And I regret it, and I apologised as I should when I became aware that she said how she felt about it…”

PAUL:

I think there's no doubt that the stories are coming out of the section of the right in the Victorian Labor Party, out of the crumbling faction led by Bill Shorten. And the fear in the broader party is they'll damage Anthony Albanese's chances ahead of the election.

The Murdoch press, as we've seen, has been very happy to help, of course, and Scott Morrison has seized on it like a drowning man.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison:

“If Anthony Albanese cannot stand up to the bullies in his own party, then how on earth is he going to have the strength to stand up the bullies in our own region-...”

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison:

“He can’t just dismiss away hard issues, that’s not what Prime Ministers can do-...”

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison:

“The hypocrisy and double standard of that I think really just doesn’t sit well with the Australian people…”

PAUL:

Essentially, when you think about it, the prime minister is accusing Labor of being as bad as him and the Liberals on the treatment of women colleagues.

ELLE:

So there are two things happening here. There's this factional story, I guess - Shorten vs. Albanese - but that is being picked up by Morrison and the Murdoch media because it suits their agenda?

PAUL:

Well, I'd say it's more a power play over preselections, but in a nutshell, that's how it's playing out publicly.
And there are problems with the story. Midweek, it emerged that a document prepared by Kitching to make her bullying claim was not presented to deputy leader Richard Marles, as reported. He says she never presented it to him or raised bullying in their meeting. It was released after her death and it was obvious to Labor insiders…

…the original purpose of the document was as a weapon to be wielded in the event of her losing preselection.

You know, in the end, though, this is all about the less edifying entrails of internal party politics, and it's indulged in by both sides. It's irrelevant to the broader imperative of government and those vying to govern. Certainly, it has nothing to do with voters' interest or indeed serving Australia's national prosperity or security.

ELLE:

We’ll be back in a moment

[Advertisement]

ELLE:

Paul, since you were last on the podcast, South Australia got a new government, this is the last state election before Morrison faces the polls - what does it tell us?

PAUL:

Well, quite a few things. One is that it ends the notion the pandemic is a guarantee that incumbents will be returned.

Archival Tape -- News Anchor (9 News):

“Good evening. It was a Labor landslide. South Australians have swept away the Marshall Liberal government, choosing Peter Malinauskas and his team to lead us beyond the pandemic…”

PAUL:

The Marshall Liberal government was absolutely wiped out after just one term in office. The other thing, though, is the result tracks exactly as the published polls had predicted. So the ideas of ‘the polls are still off the mark’ can't be relied on, either.

Archival Tape -- Scott Morrison:

“I think the lessons from state elections, and the new premier made this very point even before the polls were open, and that was that this issue, this election was being fought on state issues. The Federal election will be fought on federal issues…”

PAUL:

Morrison has tried to dismiss the outcome, saying the election was fought principally on state issues, but he knows that's not completely true. One seasoned Liberal told me “don’t you believe any of it - they're cacking themselves.”

Health was a big issue in the campaign, and Morrison was absolutely tied to it. And Labor research suggests one in two South Australians were less likely to vote for Steven Marshall's candidates once they were reminded that they were the same party as Scott Morrison. Labor's corflutes at the polling booths featured a picture of Marshall with the PM, something they wouldn't have done if they believed Morrison was a plus for the Liberals.

ELLE:

Hmm. So South Australia now has a Labor government. Can you tell me about the new premier?

Archival Tape -- Crowd cheering, chanting:

“Pete! Pete! Pete!”

PAUL:

He was all conquering leader Peter Malinauskas, he’s just 41. He was a minister in the state's previous Labor government. He's a former Union boss, and he's a charismatic and confident performer.

Archival Tape -- Peter Malinauskas:

“When we look back on this moment, in 20 years time, let them say that this generation was the new reconstruction generation. Let them say that we took the opportunity to deliver an economy that left no one behind. Let them say that we took this opportunity to invest in education, training, and skills, so that every young person could fulfil their potential. Let them say…”

PAUL:

After his win, he told RN Breakfast that he certainly didn't think Morrison helped the Liberals.

Archival Tape -- Peter Malinauskas:

“The former premier was repeatedly applauding Scott Morrison in a way that I don't think was consistent with the state's interests. What I've said…I mean, Scott Morrison described the former premier Steven Marshall as a quokka. What I've said is I'm not going to be Scomo’s quokka…”

PAUL:

He cited issues with the share of GST. He also said the state had not had a fair deal on water, and he pointed to issues with jobs, particularly around the aborted submarine project.

Archival Tape -- Peter Malinauskas:

The promise of sub jobs that were imminent, now subject to an 18 month review without much certainty at all - I think South Australians are concerned by that…

ELLE:

And so what do you think all of this means in South Australia for Morrison federally? I mean, the election is going to be called in a matter of days or weeks. What does it say about his chances?

PAUL:

Well, what makes this a chilling analysis is just how powerless the position is. The situation is for Scott Morrison facing the federal election. To retain power he has to hold on to every seat he's got, and he has to win some. And after unkind redistribution in Victoria and Western Australia, notionally the Liberals are already two seats behind.

So while you can't transpose everything that happens in a state election to a federal election, that mood in South Australia is ominous for the Liberals, and it puts into doubt the perennially close seat of Boothby. That's on a margin of just one percent and even the seat of Sturt, which is just on six per cent.

And one South Australian political insider says “the voters are waiting for Morrison with a baseball bat.” And this is a phrase then Queensland Premier Wayne Goss used ahead of Paul Keating's heavy loss to John Howard back in 1996.

The problem, too, I think for the Liberals, is that this view of Morrison's negativity for the party is not restricted to South Australia. Early in the week, it was reported that New South Wales liberals, particularly in city seats under threat from teal independents, want the prime minister to stay away from their campaigns.

The Daily Telegraph quoted some party members saying “Morrison was toxic to the government's chances”.

So not a great week for Morrison, even if he thinks politicising the death of Kimberley Kitching will help him.

ELLE:

Paul, thank you so much for your time today.

PAUL:

Well, thank you, Elle, and I hope Ruby gets better soon.

[Advertisement]

ELLE:

Also in the news today,

The federal government has finally struck a deal with New Zealand that will lead to the resettlement of 450 refugees who arrived by boat.

Announced on Thursday, the agreement will prioritise asylum seekers who are still on Nauru to be resettled in New Zealand first.

New Zealand’s offer to resettle refugees being detained by the Australian government was made almost a decade ago.

And in Western Australia, a royal commission has found Crown Resorts unsuitable to hold a gaming licence in the state, but did not recommend Crown should lose its licence.

The commission's report, tabled in the state’s parliament on Thursday, identified a number of serious breaches by the gaming operator. The commission found that Crown had facilitated money laundering and had failed to minimise gambling-related harm.

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7am is a daily show from The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. It’s produced by me, Kara Jensen-Mackinnon, Anu Hasbold and Alex Gow.

Our senior producer is Ruby Schwartz and our technical producer is Atticus Bastow.

Brian Campeau mixes the show. Erik Jensen is our editor-in-chief.

Our theme music is by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of Envelope Audio.

Our executive producer and your host Ruby Jones will be back with you next week.

See you then.

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