The former leader of the Hunter's peak union body has vowed to run as an independent in the seat of Hunter at the next federal election if Labor branch members are denied a vote on who should replace Joel Fitzgibbon.
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Former Hunter Workers secretary Daniel Wallace accused Labor leader Anthony Albanese of "hypocrisy" after he asked the party's national executive to preselect Cessnock Olympic shooter Daniel Repacholi without a rank-and-file vote.
The national executive is expected to rubber-stamp Mr Repacholi's candidacy on Friday, despite negative publicity over his social media activity.
Mr Wallace, a member of Labor's Toronto branch, said on Wednesday that he expected to be booted out of the party for running as an independent.
He said Labor had "plenty of good-quality candidates" in the electorate and did not need to resort to someone who had been a party member for only a matter of weeks.
"It's not the party I signed up for," he said.
Teralba barrister and party member Stephen Ryan said he had sent a nomination to the national executive even though the outcome appeared to be a foregone conclusion.
"I'm nominating after a number of the members of the rank-and-file got in touch urging me to nominate," he said.
"And I want to send a message that there are capable and talented people up here who can take the fight up to the Nationals and One Nation at the next election."
A party insider said media reports about controversial comments and links Mr Repacholi has placed on social media platforms were the result of "blue-on-blue" infighting and would not affect his preselection.