Former opposition leader David Speirs says federal takeover of SA Liberal branch should be seriously considered

The former opposition leader has delivered another scathing assessment of his party, and says drastic takeover action should be seriously considered.

Former opposition leader David Speirs says problems within the SA Liberals are “as bad if not worse” than the troubled NSW branch and a federal takeover should be seriously considered.

But that has been slammed by current leader Vincent Tarzia as “a laughable suggestion”, with Mr Tarzia saying the division is “very functional”.

Mr Speirs delivered another scathing assessment of the state of his party during an ABC Radio interview on Friday, declaring “clearly there are challenges” around how Mr Tarzia reached the position.

Asked whether the Liberal Party federal executive should take over the SA branch – as happened in NSW after the branch failed to nominate council candidates on time – Mr Speirs said “that’s a very good question and one that I had canvassed prior to resigning as leader”.

Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia said Speirs idea for a federal takeover of the SA Liberal branch is ‘a laughable suggestion.’. Picture: NewsWire/Ben Clark

Former opposition leader David Speirs has claimed the SA Liberal branch is ‘stuck in a decision-making swamp.’. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“I think the problem in South Australia is as bad if not worse,” he said.

“What I was seeing in the party’s executive and the administrative wing of the party ... by the state executive, were decisions being made that weren’t necessarily in the best interest of the party.

“And so, a federal intervention, putting the party into administration, appointing a group of perhaps elder states people who have served in senior roles within the party to actually make decisions that are in the best interest of the party and consequently South Australia. I have sympathy with that approach.”

Mr Speirs said he raised the idea of federal intervention with parliamentary colleagues and others because he felt the party was “stuck in a decision-making swamp”.

Asked whether the SA branch should be placed into federal administration, Mr Tarzia said “absolutely not”.

“We’ve got a very functional division here in South Australia,” he said.

“I don’t know where that suggestion has come from, I find that a laughable suggestion.”

SA Liberal Party state director Alexander Hyde declined to comment.