Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek is refusing to take sides publicly in the hunt to replace disgraced senator Sam Dastyari in the New Year.
Kristina Keneally, who fell short in the hard-fought Bennelong by-election, and Transport Workers Union national secretary Tony Sheldon are considered prime candidates for the job.
Ms Keneally lost her bid to take the Bennelong seat from Liberal candidate John Alexander on December 16 despite a swing of about 5 per cent.
Mr Sheldon, a prominent figure in the Labor right faction, is a former Labor Party national vice-president and has reportedly signalled his interest in the vacancy.
Asked her preference on Sky News, Tanya Plibersek refused to reveal her thoughts.
But Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison claims, unlike that calm response, the Labor Party has descended into disunity.
"The Dastyari wars within the Labor Party have now begun between the left and the right. Everybody's into payback and settling scores in the Labor Party. It's not going to be a very happy Christmas table around Bill Shorten's shadow cabinet, because they're all at each other now, as we can clearly see after his captain's pick* in Bennelong, which went absolutely south." Mr Morrison says.
More detail is available on the podcast above.
