Labor star candidate, Jessica Munday, rejects Liberals’ ‘ineligibility’ claim
Labor candidate Jessica Munday has rejected Liberal claims she is ineligible to stand in this month’s state election and has released legal advice from a former Solicitor-General backing her up.
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Labor candidate Jessica Munday has rejected as “desperate” Liberal claims she is ineligible to stand in this month’s state election and has released legal advice from a former Solicitor General backing her up.
The Liberals say Ms Munday is ineligible to stand for, or be elected and have produced advice from an eminent senior counsel.
But Labor had released its own advice to the contrary from former Tasmanian Solicitor-General Michael O’Farrell SC.
He says the Constitution (State Employees) Act 1944 clears the way for her to stand and be elected.
“The Constitution Act does not operate to prohibit Ms Munday from being capable of being elected to, or of holding, a seat in the House of Assembly,” he wrote in advice released by Labor.
Ms Munday said the Liberals were “weirdly obsessed” spending so much time attacking a first-time candidate.
“Eric Abetz has attacked workers and unions his entire career. I have spent my career fighting for working people. I think my community know who they can believe,” she said.
“This is just Trump-style politics of misinformation and negativity and desperation that don’t belong in Tasmanian politics.
“We have a situation here where the Liberals are focusing so much of their time and energy on someone like me, when our hospital system is failing, when they are not investing in schools and hospital and when we are at an early election because the premier was so pig-headed that he wouldn’t step down.
“This is absolutely desperate. I have always had confidence in my eligibility and my ability to represent people of Franklin.”
Labor MLC Sarah Lovell called on the Premier to apologise to Ms Munday for the Liberals’ “dirty campaigning”.
“There’s been no question for us about Jess’ eligibility to run,” she told reporters.
“It has not been a question, and we have not been wasting our time on dirty, grubby attacks from the Liberal Party.
“We have sought legal advice today to put an end to this so there can be no question for anyone about Jess’ eligibility.”
Earlier on Friday, Liberal Minister Jo Palmer called on Labor leader Dean Winter to explain himself.
“It is absolutely inexcusable that you would blow up the parliament, call an election and then not even make sure that the paperwork is correct for one of your candidates,” she said.
Mr Winter was happy to oblige.
“We have very clear legal advice that Jessica Munday is eligible to stand at this election,” he said.
“The Liberals are desperate, this is a desperate attack from Jeremy Rockcliff.
“This is a Premier who’s lost his way, who’s desperately attacking a Tasmanian young person who is fighting for workers, who is a great candidate for Franklin, that’s why they’re attacking her.”
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