Politics
Will Lara be drowned in The Spill? Michael Field warns of disunity
I keep hearing persistent rumours that ambitious Economic Development Minister David O’Byrne is poised to assassinate Premier Lara Giddings.
And, last night, I heard he had the numbers for a Spill to roll Lara to the tumbrel for the journey to Labor’s amazing guillotine, which already has despatched Big Red and Barty.
The impetus for this latest putsch: The Heads of Agreement with PM Julia – which would trash The Way We Do Things in Tasmania (think forestry) – which has enraged the throwback Dinosaurs of Labor.
God, Heaven Forbid, Labor should ever leave the 1950s …
First published: 2011-08-27 06:48 AM
• ABC Online: Michael Field warns of disunity
Former Tasmanian Premier Michael Field has told a constitutional conference in Hobart the state’s minority government is under threat from disunity in cabinet.
Addressing an audience of about a hundred legal and political experts, Mr Field said some cabinet members appeared to be acting in their own interest, rather than that of the Labor/Green Government.
“We have examples of cabinet members coming away and not adhering to cabinet solidarity because it’s in their political interest not to do so,” he said.
Mr Field also spoke of the impact of social media on politics.
He said groups that opposed government policy were organising their campaigns more quickly with the help of websites like Facebook.
That meant politicians would have to move more quickly too.
“Big challenges that the community has are harder to front and resolve when you’ve got sectional interests mobilised so quickly,” Mr Field said.
“Social media facilitates that.”