Retiring MPs give Keneally parting serve over remark

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This was published 13 years ago

Retiring MPs give Keneally parting serve over remark

By Sean Nicholls

KRISTINA KENEALLY is under siege from some of her retiring MPs over her boast that she has ''shown 23 people the door'', upset they have been likened to factional powerbrokers such as Joe Tripodi, whose notoriety led to him being forced out.

In an angry text message to Ms Keneally, and seen by the Herald, the retiring Parramatta MP, Tanya Gadiel, said she was ''disgusted'' by the comment, made at a public forum at Campbelltown on Wednesday night.

"Shown the door" ...  Labor MPs Tanya Gadiel and Phil Koperberg.

"Shown the door" ... Labor MPs Tanya Gadiel and Phil Koperberg.Credit: Robert Pearce, Adam Hollingworth

''I know you are under pressure but I am disgusted at your comment about being shown the door,'' Ms Gadiel wrote. ''Where did your decency go? And, frankly, if you are so good at showing people the door … why are the bad news people still around? When this is all over, you need to have a good hard look at yourself.''

Ms Gadiel, who announced she would retire at the election to spend more time with her children, also took a swipe at Ms Keneally's time in Parliament.

''As you said to me when I told you of my decision, 'The mark of a person is not how they entered public life but how they left it and I thank you for your decency' … Clearly, right now you have none,'' Ms Gadiel said.

''You have shown the greatest contempt for members who have worked so hard for the party … many of whom were doing it before you arrived in Australia. I know you will find 'decency' again some day outside of politics. When you find that … your real friends will emerge. All I have for you right now is pity.''

The former small business minister, Tony Stewart, also sent a text message to Ms Keneally.

''I have just watched a repeat of your … debate from yesterday,'' he wrote. ''In this you say you 'have shown 23 people the door'. After 16 years in Parliament and having strongly supported you as premier I am disgusted and perplexed by this extremely insensitive and ill-timed comment.''

Ms Keneally's comments were prompted by a question about factional powerbrokers in the government. ''I've changed the government; I've shown 23 people the door,'' she said.

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The retiring Blue Mountains MP, Phil Koperberg, said he was ''offended by the suggestion that I am among those who have been shown the door''.

''I'm offended on behalf of others, like John Aquilina, Tanya Gadiel, Alison Megarrity, Diane Beamer and Graham West, all of whom are good people who have chosen to take a different direction in their life,'' he said.

Another MP described it as ''an extraordinary comment from an inexperienced premier who was given almost unprecedented solidarity for 15 months. It's a desperate statement that reflects more on her than on her colleagues.''

A spokeswoman for Ms Keneally said the Premier had publicly stated her appreciation for retiring MPs.

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