WA Labor tight-lipped on Ferguson move

LABOR'S West Australian branch is remaining tight-lipped about moves to have former federal resources minister Martin Ferguson ousted from the party.

On Monday night, the ALP's WA executive endorsed a motion put forward by the Maritime Union of Australia to remove Mr Ferguson from the party.

Mr Ferguson - who in October accepted the newly created chairman's role with the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's advisory board seven months after resigning from Julia Gillard's cabinet - has previously labelled the MUA a "rogue" union.

In February, he singled them out for delays and blowouts to the massive Gorgon gas project in WA.

And on Tuesday, Mr Ferguson told ABC radio in Perth that he would "not be losing any sleep" about the MUA's motion.

"This is the same branch of the ALP that in many ways is a national disgrace," he said.

"They should be debating more seriously why at the recent half-Senate election, why they let down not only the working people of Western Australia but the working people of Australia in their inability to elect two or three Labor senators.

"And the fact there's too much union influence in WA pre-selections at the state and federal level, and in policy determinations.

"It's about time we broadened the church of the Labor party and encouraged rank and file participation rather than union dominance."

A WA Labor spokesman said state leader Mark McGowan would not be commenting on the matter as it was "an internal issue".

But WA opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt retweeted a quote by federal leader Bill Shorten: "The Labor party has to learn to live with people with different views within its ranks".

The MUA was being sought for comment.

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