The ancient curse of Tom Playford claims another SA Liberal opposition leader | Peter Goers

Off to Scotland goes the latest cursed Liberal leader with a parting spray of royal proportions, writes Peter Goers.

David Speirs’ determination to attend yet another wedding in Scotland seems to have kilt stone dead his role as Leader of the Opposition.

He had a dummy spit worthy of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Dummy Spit who are certainly not attending a wedding in Scotland because the UK is now “sporran” to them.

Good luck to the new Leader Of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in SA (which is the correct title), Vincent Tarzia. He’ll need it.

Being leader of the opposition is a tricky job - a poisoned chalice.

You oppose often for the sake of it, hopefully suggest alternative policies, you wait for the government to stuff up and or the electorate to tire of the government and then you only win the glittering prize if you haven’t stuffed up or your “loyal” colleagues haven’t deposed you.

Oppositions don’t win. Governments lose. So runs the old trope.

And speaking of old tropes - the Liberal Party of SA is a mess and disunity is death.

The party is riven by an ancient feud relating to the support for the gerrymander which shockingly kept the Playford Government in power for nearly three decades.

Get over it.

David Speirs alongside former Governor Hieu Van Le. Picture: Facebook

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Politics is currently widdershins. We have the most right-wing Labor Government in SA history which succeeded the most left-wing Liberal Government in SA history.

There’s a battle royal among the Libs between the hyper-conservative right-wing and the more liberal Liberals. Can Vince evince a solution on which success depends? I’m not holding my breath but he’ll have a crack.

Kim Beazley was a fine leader of the opposition and maybe the best PM we never had. The less said about Mark Latham the better. Kevin Rudd was an interesting leader of the opposition (he often agreed with John Howard which took the wind out of Howard’s sails) but a disappointing and fractious PM.

Tony Abbott was a viciously aggressive and effective leader of the opposition but as PM he was memorable in all the wrong ways.

Sir Billy Snedden is best remembered for the manner of his death in the arms of his son’s ex-girlfriend at the Travelodge Motel in Rushcutters Bay than for being the first Liberal Party Leader for the Opposition not to become PM.

Having superseded poor old sidelined Bill Hayden, Bob Hawke was Leader of the Opposition for exactly one month.

Other leaders spent longer with markedly less success - Arthur Caldwell, Alexander Downer, Simon Crean, Brendan Nelson and in SA - Martin Hamilton-Smith and gosh a rare woman in this boys’ club - Isobel Redmond.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating during an appearance at the National Press Club. Picture: ABC

Paul Keating was never Leader of the Opposition but since he was deposed as PM he’s become a professional leader of the opposition to all governments.

Persistence pays.

John Downer was the SA Leader of the Opposition four times and premier twice.

After an eclectic loss, being leader of the opposition is often a gig no-one wants and after that leader does the hard yards, he or rarely she is often stabbed in the back and replaced.

Thanks but no thanks.

These days some winners are surprised by victory (Trump) and or have been effective in negating governments but have no real idea what to do with government (Trump and Abbott).

Vincent Tarzia seems like a good bloke.

He was critical of the SA Police Band until he became Police Minister but we all make mistakes.

I said the Fringe would never work annually and the internet would never catch on.

Vickie Chapman and Dan van Holst Pellekaan would have been excellent Leaders of the Opposition and premiers but, sadly, the former resigned as another Liberal who’d had a gutful and the latter lost his seat due to an electoral redistribution.

Meanwhile, those who grab high political office are just like football coaches. As soon as their colleagues express their “full support” their days are numbered.

They can then resign using another political cliche “to spend more time with the family” and to go to weddings in Scotland.

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