 His career was eventually "saved" by the right wing Head Office group who moved him to top of the combined ticket.Clearly disillusioned with factions, Shaw observed at the launch of the Henry Parkes Foundation on 4 June 1999 that "he (Parkes) helped pioneer the faction system that dogs state politics yet – and last year threatened the career of a brilliant Attorney General".Despite his conflicts with factional figures, however, Shaw was regarded as an "iconic figure" within the ALP.