John West has been tipped off to a cunning plan by Tasmanian Labor to try to knock off popular independent MLC for Murchison Ruth Forrest*.
West hears that Premier David Bartlett will join Waratah Wynyard Council Mayor Kevin Hyland tomorrow for what I’m told is, and I quote from my source, “an announcement regarding his future”.
The announcement is apparently around midday at Strahan.
This can only mean State Labor is getting vengeful; gearing for an assault on the popular Ruth, noted for her resistance to Labor’s appalling and in West’s view, indefensible, Pulp Mill Assessment Act ( Ruth Forrest’s speech to the Leg Council, HERE )
All about Ruth Forrest, including speeches, HERE
*The election for Murchison is in May next year.
Sue Neales, Mercury:
Hodgman’s power play
LIBERAL leader Will Hodgman has moved decisively to seize control of the party in Tasmania, throwing down the challenge to powerbroker Eric Abetz.
Mr Hodgman yesterday said he could no longer stand by and watch ultra-conservatives within the Liberal Party lead it into oblivion and irrelevancy.
Instead he wants to bring the Liberals back to the “middle of the road”.
“I’m grabbing this by the scruff of the neck. I’m quite prepared to stake my leadership on it,” Mr Hodgman told the Mercury in an exclusive interview.
And he is determined to stamp out the perception the Liberal Party is a closed shop for any potential candidates not approved by senior Tasmanian senator Abetz.
Mr Hodgman also wants to see more mainstream policies coming from grassroots members, more open elections for party leadership and Senate candidate positions, a return to a more democratic party structure and a focus on a broader appeal to younger voters and women.
He acknowledged yesterday he was indirectly challenging the right of Senator Abetz to determine the Liberal Party’s future in Tasmania.
“I want Tasmanians to be proud once again to say they are Liberals,” Mr Hodgman said.
“We can’t keep operating in the same way. The status quo is not acceptable and there is no time to waste.
“The federal election result was particularly disappointing we need to take action now and that means a real shake-up, not just some token tinkering or window-dressing around the edges.”
Mr Hodgman, leader of the Liberal state parliamentary team since March 2006, has put together a reform plan to rejuvenate the party in Tasmania from within.
Sue Neales’ comment: Right row all that’s left
Press release Tasmanian Council for Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc
Will Hodgman Repositions the Liberal Opposition
The Tasmanian Council for Sexual and Gender Diverse People Inc welcomes the Leader of the Opposition’s, Mr Will Hodgman statement in the last few days to balance his parties policy direction to a more middle of the road position. This is a courageous stand given the previous dominance of the extreme fundamentalist right wing position of the Liberal power broker Senator Abetz.
The Abetz right wing faction has denigrated and marginalised some groups including the sexual and gender diverse community. This denigration has had serious affects on the well being and security of gay & lesbian people given the stigmatisation it has created in the general community.
The state election forums held by the Council(TCS&GDC Inc) indicated a great deal of bi partisanship on the part of all candidates including the Liberals and independents on such issues as ‘gay’ marriage and the rejection of policies excluding gays and lesbians from the general community. This was reflected in the eventual formation of a Labour minority government with Green support that rejected a right wing bias. This is also now the same situation for the Federal Government with the possibility of a more tolerant and just situation for sexual & gender diverse people.
Will Hodgman has always indicated a great deal of respect and support for our community as do many in his party. His repositioning of the Liberal Party will enable many in the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Community especially those of a Liberal persuasion to consider voting for ‘enlightened’ Liberal candidates in future elections, State & Federal.
Rick Pilkington, Monday, September 20, 2010: Be very afraid. New Labor candidate for Tasmanian upper house seat cites Gunns Pulp Mill as example of Labor’s “progressive politics”. Bartlett and Brian Green push pro-pulp mill mate for Upper House Seat.
Its would seem that our Premier wants all other Tasmanian politicians except him and the labor mates to embrace the Labor/Green accord’s “new politics” (whatever that means).
Bartlett has accused Murchison independent MLC Ruth Forrest of being a “closet liberal”.
Forrest has emphatically denied any links with the Libs.
See ABC online piece below.
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David Bartlett has put up Waratah-Wynyard Mayor Kevin Hyland to stand against Murchison independent MLC Ruth Forrest in the upcoming election for her seat.
Hyland admits he’s only just joined the Labor party.
When asked today by the ABC’s Drive programme presenter Roisin Mcann’s what he liked about the Labor party, Hyland told her Labor were a “progressive party who want to see things happen” and cited the Gunns pulp mill as example of Labor’s progressive politics and how they “get things done”. Hyland lauded the Bartlett government’s efforts to “push to get that (the pulp mill) happening, and its sort of gone from there, yeah so i’ve sorta, you know followed that with what Brian Green has done in this area….they’ve (Labor) just struck me as, you know, gettin on with the job and I’m sorta a bit that line myself”.
Oh dear!! Welcome to David Bartlett’s “new politics”
I’m sure Premier Bartlett would be grateful that Mcann did not ask Hyland to elaborate on some of Labor’s parties contribution to the furthering of democracy and ethics in Tasmanian politics.
The Tasmanian Times website first predicted Labor were set to go after Murchison independent Ruth Forrest (above) who is one of the few true independents in a Tasmanian upper house.
Indeed there are a host of politicians that whilst describing themsleves as independent are consistently loyal to Tasmania’s most powerful bound and well connected politicians and big business. Indeed, it was said of former Launceston Mayor & windemere MLC Ivan Dean during the upper house’s deliberations of the Labor Government’s fast track Gunns pulp mill bill that the only thing Dean was independent of was his constituents!
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From ABC online
Murchison MLC lashes out
Ruth Forrest Independent MLC for Murchison says she has never considered joining the Liberal Party. The Independent member for Murchison, Ruth Forrest, has hit back at insinuations she is a closet Liberal. Waratah-Wynyard mayor Kevin Hyland will run for Labor in upper house seat next year. David Bartlett has questioned whether the reason the Liberals have chosen not to run a candidate in Murchison is because they have a closet Liberal in Ms Forrest.
The Independent MLC has rejected the accusation.
“I’ve never been approached by the Liberal Party to be a member, I’ve never considered joining the party, and I certainly intend to maintain my independence,” she said.
Posted by Pilko at 1:16 PM
Read the full post with links on Rick Pilkington’s blog, HERE
Article first published Friday, September 17
