Arbib skips TV appearance

Right-wing NSW Labor powerbroker Mark Arbib has decided to skip a television
appearance as party members look to apportion blame for Saturday's poor election
result.
Senator Arbib, who helped organise the numbers against Kevin Rudd in favour of Julia
Gillard in June, was due to appear on ABC TV's Q&A program on Monday night.
But just hours before the show goes to air his spokeswoman told AAP the federal
senator wouldn't be appearing as scheduled.
She refused to say why, offering a "no comment" when quizzed on the non-appearance.
The ABC had put out a media release on Monday afternoon confirming Senator Arbib
would be on the program's "election post mortem" edition.
A spokeswoman for the national broadcaster later said Senator Arbib's office didn't
provide a reason for his late withdrawal.
The program will go ahead with a line-up including key independent Tony Windsor,
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull, former
Labor minister Graham Richardson and newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen.
It's been reported that Labor campaign headquarters is trying to enforce a ban on
disgruntled MPs discussing the poll result in an attempt to stop internal bickering
overshadowing attempts by Prime Minister Julia Gillard to pull together a minority
government.
Senator Arbib would certainly have been asked about the knifing of Mr Rudd and
whether that hurt the party on Saturday.
One senior NSW minister reportedly told The Australian on Monday that Senator Arbib
needed to be axed "so that Labor can find its way again".
But Senator Arbib told AAP on Saturday night he stood by the unprecedented action
the ALP took in installing Ms Gillard.
"We made 100 per cent the right decision," he said.
Senator Arbib was a member of the Nine Network's TV panel on election night.
Outgoing Bennelong MP Maxine McKew spoke frankly on Saturday, saying the ousting of
Mr Rudd played a role in Labor losing its majority.
"You cannot have a Labor leader removed within two months of an election for it not
to have significant ramifications, so clearly that was a factor," she said.
Former NSW Labor premier Morris Iemma said on Monday that Senator Arbib should "pack
up and go home" along with Karl Bitar, the senator's friend and ALP national
secretary.