Keating: an old pals' act

PRIME Minister Paul Keating knew what he wanted and, having won an election billed as impossible to win, was determined to get it. But his new, 117-member caucus of Labor members of parliament wasn't so sure.

When the votes were counted at Tuesday's caucus meeting, a majority of just five ensured that Mr Keating prevailed over Labor's factions, having his own 30-strong team elected as his new ministry, in defiance of choices made by the party's left-wingers.

And when Mr Keating handed out the jobs to those 30 yesterday, it was his old mates - men such as New South Wales MP Frank Walker, one of the few members of the Labor left who supported him in his 1991 challenge to Mr Bob Hawke for the party leadership,and members of his own NSW right faction, who were given the plum positions.

As Special Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Department, Mr Walker will have responsibility for major development projects. Mr Laurie Brereton, a scion of the NSW right and one of Mr Keating's closest friends in politics goes straight to the 19-member inner Cabinet with the powerful industrial relations portfolio, while Mr Michael Lee, a ''young gun'' of the NSW right, also went into the Cabinet with tourism.

It was a sweeping reshuffle and one with which Mr Keating signalled that anyone hoping to see more humility from Paul Keating should think again.

Ironically, his promotion of his own supporters came just hours before a Labor victory dinner on Tuesday night at which Mr Keating and Mr Hawke patched up their differences.