Greens Leader Nick McKim’s confidence in Lin Thorp continuing as Minister has directly undermined the Greens candidate for Rumney.
“Nick McKim’s absolute capitulation to Labor is such that he is now effectively supporting a Labor candidate in Rumney over his own Greens candidate,” State Director Jonathan Hawkes said.
“The Greens Leader’s support for Minister Thorp at the expense of his own Greens candidate for Rumney will only exacerbate the tensions that are rife among Greens members and supporters.
“Greens Candidate Penelope Ann is saying that Lin Thorp’s performance is so appalling she should be voted out but Greens Leader Nick McKim is saying it’s not that bad and she deserves to stay on as a Minister.
“It seems that Nick McKim is so keen on keeping the trappings of being a Minister that he is now prepared to sell-out his own Greens candidates.”
LIBERALS & LABOR COMBINE TO VOTE DOWN CENSURE MOTION IN THORP
First Opportunity for Genuine Censure in 37 Years Squandered
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
The Tasmanian Greens today moved to censure the Minister for Children, Lin Thorp, for her mistake in revealing confidential details around the selection process for the position of Commissioner for Children, saying that the Greens believed that was the appropriate sanction for Ms Thorp’s error.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the Greens have applied the principles of fairness and natural justice, and are confident that the proposed sanction was appropriate for the mistake that Ms Thorp made.
Mr McKim also described claims by the Liberals that the censure motion was the result of a deal with Labor as a completely inaccurate conspiracy theory.
“Had the Liberals supported the censure it would have been the first time in at least 37 years that a Minister had been successfully censured by the House of Assembly,” Mr McKim said.
“The Liberals position that Ms Thorp should lose her job over her error is motivated by politics, not by a careful consideration of the circumstances.”
“Parliamentary advice received by the Greens makes it clear that a censure motion is a very serious matter, and we are of the firm opinion that this sanction fits the magnitude of the error of judgement Ms Thorp made.”
“The Greens have been clear that we believe Minister Thorp’s comment on national ABC Radio constitutes a major error of judgement and was completely inappropriate, yet given the eventual apologies to the individual involved and the Tasmanian public, we do not consider it an offence that should result in her losing her job.”
“It would have been a just outcome, a fair outcome, and a responsible outcome for the Minister to be censured today, but in an extraordinary move the Liberals voted with Labor to prevent this censure occurring.”
Mr McKim also reiterated that it has been the Greens’ long held position going back well over a decade to not support no-confidence motions which they did not move themselves.
Earlier on Tasmanian Times: Thorp enters the lion’s den … and survives, HERE
