• Liberal Party agenda completely lacking in heart
• More interested in looking after themselves than Tasmanians doing it tough
• Premier’s promise to support women amounts to nothing

The stage is set for a sanitised, uninspiring, self-serving Liberal Party state conference this weekend.

Deputy Labor Leader Michelle O’Byrne said the conference agenda lacks compassion.

“There are plenty of ideas to make life easier for the Liberal party, but not a lot that will improve the lives of Tasmanians,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“There are eleven separate motions proposing changes to the parliament and elections, compared to just three mentions of health.

“Self-interest is alive and well in the Liberal Party.

“There’s union bashing, back slapping for the Liberal Government and calls to ban non-residents from buying property.

“But there’s very little to improve the lives of Tasmanians who are doing it tough.

“Where’s the acknowledgment of cost of living pressures? Where are the ideas to improve the lives of working people?

“Where are the commitments to support diversity or help Tasmanians living with a disability?

“At last year’s conference the Premier promised to address the “the gender imbalance that exists in our Party”.

“Not one of the 63 motions seeks to empower women, either inside or outside the Liberal Party.

“The Premier’s promise to support women has obviously been extinguished by the more conservative voices in the party.

“It’s yet another example of Will Hodgman’s embarrassing lack of conviction and leadership.

“His promises to empower women were completely hollow.

“The Liberals had three chances to pre-select women at the Legislative Council elections in May and failed dismally.

“There’s no heart at all in the Liberal Party motions set to be debated this weekend.

“With an election just around the corner, it’s pretty obvious there’s an attempt to sanitise the whole weekend.

“Unlike a Labor conference where debates are public and robust, this weekend’s Liberal conference looks set to be self-serving, scripted and boring.”
Michelle O’Byrne MP, Deputy Labor Leader, Shadow Minister for Women