Lord Mayor’s conflict in Denison delays decision to run
Internal squabbling delaying Premier’s need for immediate Cabinet reshuffle
Power brokers running the show as government descends into chaos
The sudden departure of Matthew Groom has exposed bitter divisions within the Liberal Party ranks.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said while the Premier was scratching his head over how to fill Mr Groom’s abandoned portfolios, the internal conflict between Sue Hickey and Elise Archer had resurfaced.
“What Tasmanians are seeing right now is a Liberal Party that is bitterly and hopelessly divided,” Mr Bacon said.
“’Tasmanians have got a Minister who has announced his intention to resign and yet no word from the Premier about when he will be replaced or who will replace him across several important portfolio areas.
“And now we’ve got the Lord Mayor Sue Hickey equivocating over whether to put up her hand to run in Denison, while openly admitting that she had been stabbed in the back by members of her own party.
“It is clear her long-running feud with the Speaker of the House Elise Archer continues and looks like it will continue well into the future. That is not a recipe for stability.
“It looks like internal Liberal Party power brokers will determine exactly which seat Sue Hickey stands in but it should not be up to the likes of Elise Archer or Eric Abetz to make that decision.
“Tasmanians want certainty around their government and it does appear that the government is in chaos at the moment.
“What they really want to see is the Premier make a decision.
“He’s had more than enough time to make that decision and whether or not there are internal conflicts within the Liberal Party that are delaying the Premier’s announcement, he should get on with the job.”
Scott Bacon MP Shadow Treasurer
