BY STEPHEN O'BRIEN

NEWCASTLE — The retirement of the incumbent Labor member for the state seat of Charlestown, Richard Face, has prompted ALP head office intervention in the pre-selection ballot for his old seat.

Despite the protests of a 140 strong meeting of Charlestown Labor Party members on February 2, the right-wing dominated NSW ALP administrative committee invoked the infamous N40 rule at its meeting on February 5.

Instead of a membership ballot, N40 prescribes that the ALP candidate will be chosen by a selection panel made up of local ALP members and an equal number of administrative committee nominees, two thirds of whom are likely to be right-wingers.

Head office also granted ALP membership to former Newcastle Knights captain Mark Sargent, thus giving him the nod to seek endorsement as ALP candidate for Charlestown.

Other candidates for the seat include Lake Macquarie local councillor Matthew Morris, Kath Evans and Carmel Cook — president and vice-president respectively of Newcastle Trades Hall Council.

Face resigned as NSW minister for gaming and racing on February 12 after it was revealed that he had set up a consultancy to advise clubs and hotels, to supplement his $131,328 annual parliamentary pension, he had set up a consultancy to advise clubs and hotels in his retirement.

With two concurrent scandals, the possibility of a Cunningham-type scenario could occur in Charlestown in the March 22 NSW elections.

From Green Left Weekly, February 19, 2003.
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