Labor state seat ballots down to the wire Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews says that "where there is a contest, certainly the expectation would be that there would be ballots." OPPOSITION Leader Daniel Andrews said he expected ballots for Labor contests for state seats - just hours before a deal to deny votes was stitched up by factional heavyweights. A senior Right source said he expected that ballots would have to be allowed in future because it was a bad look for the party to deny ordinary members a say. Labor nominations for all Victorian Upper and Lower House seats closed on Thursday. While few Lower House seats will be contested, candidates for the larger Upper House seats will now be chosen by factional chiefs. When asked about the proposed deal on Thursday afternoon, Mr Andrews said he was "not aware of any alternative arrangements" and there had been "no decision made." "Where there is a contest, certainly the expectation would be that there would be ballots," he said. If alternative arrangements were put in place, well that will be a matter for the party. The deal must still be formally endorsed by the National Executive. Upper House Labor MP Kaye Darveniza slammed the decision, saying it was time for federal Labor leader Bill Shorten to show if he was "truly a reformist." "It firmly rests now with Bill Shorten to decide at the National Executive if he will allow the members of the ALP to have a say in who they want to represent them in the Upper House," she said. Will he continue to support the reform agenda, is he truly a reformist and will he, at National Executive, stand up for the rights of our members to have a vote in a local plebiscite? Meanwhile, Mr Andrews has signalled further policy announcements after the recent launch of the transport plan. I want people to vote for us because of the things we stand for, the things we are excited about, our hopes, our plans for the future, not just the things we are opposed to.