Ashton Hurn backers divide the spoils – but deny plot against Vincent Tarzia

Supporters of a rising star Liberal frontbencher appear to be growing bolder amid denials of imminent moves to remove their leader.

Leader of the Opposition Vincent Tarzia and Liberal health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn at a press conference on Wednesday.

Senior Liberal conservatives have decried destabilisation of Vincent Tarzia’s leadership and forbidden their state MPs from being part of moves to oust him.

The leaders of the party’s dominant faction were responding to The Advertiser’s exclusive revelation that senior Liberal agitators pushing to install Ashton Hurn as leader were already dividing up the spoils, with conservative MLC Ben Hood being earmarked as her deputy.

But it is understood Liberal rules prevent a deputy leader sitting in the upper house, as Mr Hood does, highlighting the haphazard nature of the push to install Ms Hurn.

“There’s no interest in changing the leadership and this continued speculation is just harming the party and our cause,” one senior conservative said on Thursday afternoon.

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Mr Hood then responded by firmly endorsing Mr Tarzia, saying there had been “no conversations” about replacing him and declaring voters wanted the party to talk about their concerns, not the Liberal leadership.

“There’s been no conversations (about ousting Mr Tarzia). Vincent is our leader. He has our support,” Mr Hood said.

“South Australians don’t want us to be talking about ourselves. They want us to be talking about them and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.”

Ashton Hurn. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The conservatives hold effective control of the state Liberal Party administration and membership after a successful membership push spearheaded by federal members Alex Antic and Tony Pasin.

But the rival moderate faction holds a majority in the parliamentary party.

Conservatives say their moderate rivals are behind a push to install moderate frontbencher Ms Hurn as leader in place of Mr Tarzia and they reject any involvement in a bid to install conservative Mr Hood as deputy.

Liberals pushing for Ms Hurn also had speculated a delegation would visit Mr Tarzia as early as Thursday, the final sitting day of state parliament before the March state election.

Mr Tarzia’s camp has been quick to hose down the destabilisation talk, saying he is not going anywhere and that the rumours have no substance.

Ms Hurn’s supporters do appear to be growing bolder.

The Advertiser was also told Mr Hood would be Ms Hurn’s deputy, with her as “good cop” and him as “bad cop”.

Ben Hood.

Some senior Liberals had emphatically rejected the prospect of any delegation visiting Mr Tarzia on Thursday while others did not rule it out, or that the destabilisation could continue into next week.

The Advertiser was also told the delegation’s plans had been cancelled.

Asked to comment, Mr Tarzia’s office referred The Advertiser to his statements at a joint press conference with Ms Hurn on Wednesday, at which both rejected any prospect of leadership change before next March’s state election.

“She (Ms Hurn) said that she’s not challenging. I’m not resigning. I’m here to fight for my community and this state and this party, and I’ll be the leader for the election in March next year. It’s as simple as that,” Mr Tarzia said on Wednesday.

Vincent Tarzia and Ashton Hurn speaking to the media on Wednesday.

Vincent Tarzia told the press conference he would not resign and Ashton Hurn said she would not challenge.

Mr Tarzia and Ms Hurn appeared together on Wednesday in a show of unity, with Ms Hurn saying there were no circumstances under which she would become leader before next March’s state election.

At that press conference, The Advertiser asked Ms Hurn for her message to colleagues who want to draft her into the leadership, and whether there was any way whatsoever that she would become leader before next March’s election.

She replied: “No. Vincent is our leader. I’m focused on working with Vincent towards the next election.”

In a fiery speech after Thursday’s final parliamentary question time before the election, Mr Tarzia delivered a spirited critique of the Malinauskas government, zeroing in on electricity bills and housing costs.

“Labor promised no new taxes, but we know that families and businesses are being gouged right across the state with things like tax grabs and price hikes,” Mr Tarzia said.

“Labor promised more homes but we know, and we heard today, barely a single slab has been laid. That’s why South Australians are working harder than ever but, unfortunately, they’re getting less and less in return.

“That’s why a Liberal alternative offers something Labor can’t. A real plan to offer a better future for South Australians.”

Former Liberal turned independent MP Dan Cregan lashed the current state of his previous party in a valedictory speech on Wednesday night, attacking the conservatives.

“In the time I was a member of the Liberal Party the party changed. I did not. A concerted membership drive from the hard right radically altered the nature of the institution,” said Mr Cregan, who was the Liberal MP for Kavel from 2018 to late 2021.

“I cannot speak for the party in other parts of Australia, but in South Australia it is unquestionably, now, a hard-right party.

“It indulges the fringe and the extremes, and every time it does it loses more standing.”

Originally published as Ashton Hurn backers divide the spoils – but deny plot against Vincent Tarzia