Politics

SPLITSVILLE: Deano isolated from ALP powerbase

The Herald Sun’s John Masanauskas reports that key allies of ETU boss Dean Mighell have had enough.

Mighell runs the Victorian branch of the Electrical Trades Union which is a big part of the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union.

VEXNEWS understands that Mighell presides over a union now beset with intrigue and suspicion as different internal union fractions spoil for a fight.

While not much of this has a direct political effect, one development is important. Sources familiar with maneuvering in the left splinter group the Union and Community Alliance say that Mighell has been “expelled” from the Labor faction. Leading the charge has been the plumbers state secretary, the highly regarded Earl Setches.

This curious situation is a far cry from Mighell’s previous explanation that somehow it was an ALP machine payback for his support for the property millionaire Les Twentyman’s candidacy in Kororoit. The full dimensions of Mighell’s problems seem internal and indeed infernal.

Partly it seems the move also stems from concern the grouping would be disadvantaged in next year’s preselections by a close association with Mighell, regarded by most as a robust and not untalented unionist, who has persistently run into political trouble or given comfort to property millionaires or Greenists opposed to the ALP.

One supporter of Mighell’s role in disrupting long-term foe Senator Kim Carr asked VEXNEWS this morning, perhaps only subconsciously quoting from an older drama than the Dean Earl Fall-out, “How did it come to this?”

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