Political assassination

EXCLUSIVE

Senior Labor frontbencher Walt Secord, who fell on his sword last Friday after being accused of bullying, told The AJN this week his downfall was due to an “orchestrated plan”.

A long-term friend of the Jewish community and the deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel since 2011, Secord – who converted to Judaism last year – has been a staunch advocate for Jewish interests and a strong defender of Israel.

The Legislative Council member was named by the ABC as one of the culprits at the centre of a number of anonymous bullying complaints in a report on NSW parliamentary culture released on Friday, August 12.

After admitting to raising his voice and issuing an apology, Secord eventually stepped down from the shadow ministry before ultimately deciding not to seek another term next March.

“This was a clear stitch-up,” he told The AJN this week.

“I was the subject of an orchestrated plan executed by an alliance of two distinct groups coming together with one purpose: to remove me from Parliament.”

Secord said one group comprised supporters of previous Labor leader Jodi McKay and the other was a group of anti-Israel/pro-BDS supporters. He said it was “no coincidence” that the only complaints in the report which were leaked publicly “related solely to me”.

He said it was also “highly suspicious” that the allegations were first raised in a media conference “not by a state political reporter – but by ABC’s global affairs editor John Lyons.”

Lyons is a former Australian Middle East correspondent whose book Balcony Over Jerusalem was highly criticised by Jewish leaders for being biased against Israel upon its release in 2017.

“Why would a foreign affairs correspondent even come to a State Parliament press conference, let alone to raise questions that are clearly more apt for his state political colleague to canvass?” Secord posited.

He said he hoped his political career was not summarised by the recent events, “but rather my commitment to public service and support for the Jewish community”.

“I have atoned for raising my voice to the incompetence in the former Labor leader’s office and apologised unreservedly. It was a frustrating time – and relations with that office deteriorated when the then-leader tweeted her support of Gaza during the attacks on Israeli civilians.”

Secord said on the issue of BDS, internal Labor debate was heated.

“At one point, it was claimed that I should not be allowed to participate as I was ‘conflicted’ as a Jew and a Zionist,” he said.

“Thankfully, there were strong voices within the party who opposed BDS and supported the IHRA definition.”

He said, “I am heartbroken that I cannot continue to serve the community.

“I dreamed of affixing a mezuzah to a ministerial office door, and wearing a kippah to a swearing-in ceremony. But that is not to be.

“However, I am still standing tall and I am proud of my achievements.”

Paying tribute to Secord, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the State Parliament “has had no stronger advocate for multiculturalism and communal harmony than Walt Secord”.

“He has been a staunch and loyal friend to the Jewish community and other faith and multicultural communities throughout his time in Parliament,” he said.

“He always made the time to listen to our concerns and work towards meaningful change for the good of all NSW citizens. Our state is a better place because of Walt’s tireless work across multiple portfolios over the years.”

Most notably, Ossip lauded Secord’s introduction of a private member’s bill into Parliament to ban the public display of Nazi symbols late last year.

“This is now a much-welcomed reality in our state,” he said.

“The NSW Jewish community as well as the community at large owes him a debt of gratitude.”

The AJN emailed Lyons for comment but a response was not received by press time.

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