Peter Gutwein,Premier
Labor's desperate decision to re-endorse their failed former leader Rebecca White is a damning indictment of their lack of talent, leadership, and vision for Tasmania.
In her four years as leader, Ms White has offered no policies or plan for our State, and ran a series of dishonest scare campaigns at the last election that saw Labor's vote go backwards in every single electorate, plummeting to a disastrous 28 per cent statewide.
In fact, at the last two elections, Ms White has led Labor to their fourth-worst (2018), and second-worst (2021) results in their history. And at the May election, Labor lost every single booth north of Kempton except one on the East Coast, and in their traditional heartland of Clark, Labor's vote of 22.1% was the worst Labor primary vote in any electorate, ever.
It is clear that another deal has been struck by the hard-left factional powerbrokers to re-install Ms White who had previously been forced to vacate the field and publicly endorse David O'Byrne for the leadership - the same powerbrokers that have worked to keep Dr Broad out of the leadership team as payback for his public comments about the toxic divisions in the Party.
It is simply inconceivable that Labor have no other options, and it speaks volumes that less than two months after dumping Ms White as leader, the Labor caucus has come crawling back and re-endorsed her.
Ms White also still has questions to answer over her comments in Parliament where she continued to misrepresent statements she made to the ABC, which were called out as incorrect by the Integrity Commission.
Ms White's statements do not add up. Either she lied, or she is claiming that Mr Easton has.
It is now incumbent on Ms White to explain herself, and to correct the record as soon as possible.
The Government intends to pursue this matter when Parliament resumes in August.
