Federal election 2025: Viktor Ko reprimanded by Labor party over teal criticism as party backs in Kate Chaney

Labor is actively backing Independent MP for Curtin Kate Chaney, blasting its own candidate for daring to criticise the high-profile teal.

The secret arrangement came to light after Labor’s candidate in Curtin, Viktor Ko, accused Ms Chaney of being a serial backflipper who could not be trusted.

Dr Ko’s campaign manager said the respected GP was “wasting precious resources from party office” and “working against the best interests of the party”.

The dressing down was sent to members of the Nedlands Labor Branch WhatsApp group and obtained by The West Australian.

It is understood Dr Ko infuriated the ALP when he refused to concentrate his attacks exclusively on Liberal candidate Tom White.

Curtin, which covers Perth’s wealthiest suburbs in the city’s west, is considered a must-win seat if Peter Dutton is to become prime minister on Saturday.

Labor is content to let Dr Ko’s preferences help Ms Chaney be returned to the House of Representatives three years after she snatched the seat from the Liberals.

In recent days, and without seeking permission from his political masters, Dr Ko dispensed pamphlets targeting Ms Chaney.

A small number of flyers critical of the sitting member were distributed around streets near Ms Chaney’s house.

“If you want a Labor government, you can’t risk a vote for anybody else,” the pamphlet warned, before noting that Ms Chaney had “backflipped on the live sheep ban” and “backflipped on the North West Shelf gas project”.

“Kate Chaney refuses to tell us who she’ll back in a hung parliament,” the flyer stated.

“If you want a Labor Government, this time, you have to vote Labor.”

The clandestine letterbox drop was quickly reported to the ALP, triggering suspicions inside the Ko campaign that the Chaney and Labor campaigns were in cahoots.

Dr Ko’s refusal to “play dead” against Ms Chaney so she had a better chance of finishing ahead of Mr White incensed Labor’s campaign headquarters.

“Yes, well done to the campaign team, who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes – even while dealing with a candidate who ignores instruction, won’t work with the campaign team, has been rude to multiple people, is wasting precious resources from party office, and seems more interested in working against the best interests of the party than supporting the broader WA Labor campaign,” Dr Ko’s campaign manager wrote in a message to the Nedlands Labor Branch WhatsApp group.

Dr Ko was part of the group. He was subsequently removed from the chat.

The local doctor declined to comment on specifics of his campaign.

“Every seat is important to Labor and it is Anthony Albanese’s intention to return as a majority government,” he said.

Ms Chaney branded the suggestion she was in bed with Labor as “manufactured nonsense”.

“There is no deal or arrangement between me and Labor, or any other party,” she said.

“I’m an independent, which means I stand for my community, not for political parties.”

Some Labor insiders are scratching their heads about why the party endorsed Dr Ko when it had no intention to back him in.

“He was expected to play dead against Kate and when he didn’t the party abandoned him,” said one Labor strategist who was angry at the ALP’s treatment of Dr Ko.

“If you don’t want to contest a seat that’s fine but put a young union official in there so they can get some campaign experience. Don’t endorse a successful and respected member of the community and then hang them out to dry.”

It is understood Dr Ko ploughed close to $100,000 of his own money into the campaign, spending harder when it became clear his party had no interest in investing in his election.

Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash said the Labor fiasco in Curtin showed “a vote for Kate Chaney is a vote for Labor”.

“Kate Chaney needs to come clean with the voters of Curtin about any deals or other communication she has had with Labor,” Senator Cash said.

“Ms Chaney has continually refused to say who she will back in the event of a hung Parliament but it is pretty obvious where her loyalties lie.

“Kate Chaney stands on a platform of transparency but won’t be honest with the voters of Curtin.

“I’m confident the voters of Curtin will realise they’ve been duped by Kate Chaney, who has delivered them nothing in her term in the Parliament.”

The ALP declined to comment officially but a senior party source was adamant no deal had been struck with Ms Chaney.

“Any suggestion of an agreement between WA Labor and Ms Chaney’s campaign is entirely false,” the insider said.

Ms Chaney has previously been accused of being too close to the Greens.

It emerged last week that one of the far left party’s most senior WA figures had donated money to Ms Chaney’s campaign and had contributed to a policy document.

Greens co-convener Chilla Bulbeck appeared on the teal’s “donor wall” in July and recognised as a contributor to Ms Chaney’s climate action dossier.

As part of her Net Zero Plan for Curtin, published in February last year, Ms Chaney discussed a range of changes, including higher density living and banning future residential gas supplies.