Disastrous internal Liberal polling ignites speculation about Vincent Tarzia’s leadership

The embattled Opposition Leader is insisting he will not budge from the Liberal Party’s top job as disastrous polling ignites speculation about his position.

Embattled Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia is insisting he will not budge from the Liberal Party’s top job, despite an internal push to replace him with prominent frontbencher Ashton Hurn.

Responding to an exclusive Advertiser report about disastrous internal polling igniting speculation about his position, Mr Tarzia declared Ms Hurn would not challenge him and he would not stand down.

“Ashton’s made it clear that she’s not challenging and I’ve made it really clear that I’m not going anywhere,” he told ABC radio on Wednesday morning.

Asked if he would be remaining as leader, Mr Tarzia said: “Absolutely.”

Mr Tarzia and Ms Hurn are scheduled to appear together at a press conference later on Wednesday morning.

The Advertiser earlier revealed disastrous opinion polling showing the Liberals being decimated at next March’s state election has ignited speculation about Vincent Tarzia’s leadership.

State Liberal shadow cabinet was briefed on Monday night about research showing the party losing substantial ground to One Nation, both across the metropolitan and country areas.

It is understood the polling showed Liberal primary support in the high 20s – a bit higher than the 21 per cent revealed in a YouGov poll published by The Advertiser in June.

But this would leave the Liberals holding just three of their current 13 seats – all blue-ribbon country electorates – and hoping to win back three independent-held regional electorates, where the polling is said to show them performing strongly.

Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia and health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn at a Parliament House press conference on Tuesday. Picture: Paul Starick

Senior Liberal sources said expected future leader Ashton Hurn, the party’s health spokeswoman, would not challenge Mr Tarzia, but said momentum was gathering for a push to convince him to step aside in her favour.

It is believed Ms Hurn, who has previously repeatedly ruled out becoming leader until after the election, has signalled to colleagues she would not resist being drafted in the event of an overwhelming push.

But Mr Tarzia is believed to have repeatedly told colleagues he will not quit and is determined to lead the party to the March 21 election.

Any leadership switch would be complicated by the timing, so close to the election, and Mr Tarzia’s replacement having to pay out office staff as they set up a new operation.

Senior Liberal sources said no move was expected this week, when the final three sitting days of state parliament have been scheduled before the election.

The leaking of the polling results to The Advertiser appears to be triggered by some desperate MPs and party figures, alarmed by the polling results and trying to goad Ms Hurn into a leadership bid.

“The problem is there’s no candidate at the moment (to replace Mr Tarzia),” one advocate for leadership change said.

Liberal sources said the polling showed the Liberals would be left with Flinders, held by Sam Telfer, Chaffey (Tim Whetstone) and Schubert (Ms Hurn).

But they said it showed the party performing strongly in independent seats the Liberals had previously held, notably MacKillop (Nick McBride), Narungga (Fraser Ellis) and Mount Gambier (previously Troy Bell).

Liberal leadership murmurings emerged last week, after the party switched state leaders in Victoria and New South Wales.

But there was little appetite for change in SA, so close to an election, until Monday night’s polling briefing by Liberal state director Alexander Hyde.

It is understood Mr Hyde cautioned shadow cabinet MPs against leaking the results, telling them Labor had made numerous blunders in government but its discipline was seen by voters as proxy for competence.

But Liberal infighting and turmoil was seen as proxy for incompetence, Mr Hyde is said to have told MPs.

Asked to respond, a Liberal spokeswoman said: “The state director regularly briefs parliamentarians on the Liberal Party’s ongoing research program.”

Independent MPs were sceptical about claims the Liberals were polling well in their seats, with one saying the party was struggling there because its vote was competing against both independents and One Nation.

“If it was true then it’s an indictment on them. They’re only polling well in places they’re not present,” another independent MP said.

Originally published as Disastrous internal Liberal polling ignites speculation about Vincent Tarzia’s leadership