Mr Brown, who was one of more than 30 Labor members expelled by the party executive when Ms McKay replaced Bryce Gaudry, said it aggrieved him deeply to witness the total collapse of the party.

"Jodi McKay is reported as saying she wants to complete what she started," Mr Brown said.

"I feel she will succeed. She started the collapse of support for the ALP in the Hunter, and I believe she will finish it."

Ms McKay said she bore no ill-will towards Mr Brown but she did not want to comment on his assertions that she was responsible for some of the party's demise.

In an interview with the Newcastle Herald yesterday, Mr Brown said the public had every right to be disgusted by a political party that disgraced itself the way Labor had.

"People have been humiliated and betrayed, while examples of gross incompetence, self-indulgence, obscene behaviour, personal misconduct, broken promises and corruption became almost weekly disclosures," Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown remained upset at the way Labor engineered the removal of his daughter, Kelly Hoare, from the federal seat of Charlton, which Greg Combet then took over.

He said "parachuting" high-profile people into seats over the wishes of local members was a recipe for trouble.