00:00When Libby Metham took over as Liberal leader, she quickly stamped her authority by removing
00:07Nick Garan from Shadow Cabinet.
00:09The issues in relation to Nick Garan were worthy of an apology.
00:15The apology was not forthcoming and I was given no choice.
00:20Those issues were about his role in the Klan, a group of factional power brokers whose leaked
00:24messages showed boasts of branch stacking and disparaging comments about women.
00:29Two years on, he's back in favour as Shadow Attorney-General and Child Protection Spokesperson
00:34without having to apologise.
00:36It's clear that Libby is unable to compel him to do so because he's in control of the
00:41party.
00:42The government's accused Ms Metham of striking a deal with Mr Garan in exchange for his vote
00:47in last month's failed bid to oust her as party leader.
00:50If it looks like a deal and it smells like a deal, it's a deal.
00:54And Libby Metham needs to come clean.
00:57What's the deal?
00:58Ms Metham declined an interview telling the ABC there was no deal.
01:02Just because Roger Cook did a deal with the unions to make him Premier doesn't mean I
01:06did.
01:07I did not.
01:08In a statement, Mr Garan said a previous investigation had cleared him of any wrongdoing.
01:12Political commentator Peter Kennedy says it appears Ms Metham is trying to move on from
01:17the Klan saga and present a united front.
01:20But get him inside the tent, moving in the same direction because they want to make progress.
01:24They don't want to be squabbling coming up to the election.
01:27The ABC understands a key reason for Mr Garan's return was the need to have a big enough shadow
01:32cabinet to mount a convincing campaign.
01:35With just three months until the election, it's hoped the value of having an experienced
01:39player back on board will outweigh the pain of Ms Metham's backflip.
Comments