 On 21 October 1999 , Warnock announced her departure at the next election for personal reasons , and threw her support behind former Town of Vincent mayor John Hyde , a member of the Centre faction of the Labor Party who had the support of the Left faction and some Centre members of Parliament . However , the key Centre unions had backed former ministerial adviser Adele Farina for the post , and Labor 's affirmative action policy for candidates in winnable seats meant that failing to pick a female candidate would risk sitting male MPs . A week later , the Centre faction openly split , with a breakaway group endorsing Hyde . On 5 November , Farina withdrew from the contest , leaving Hyde to be preselected unopposed ahead of the 2001 election . He maintained the seat for Labor at the election , becoming the first openly gay man to sit in the Western Australian parliament . 
