'Gobsmacking': Premier apologises for Liberal party member’s attack on Braddon independent
Independent Craig Garland has urged Tasmanians to consider the toll of politics on families, after Premier Jeremy Rockliff apologised over comments made at the Liberal state council.
Member for Braddon Craig Garland has urged Tasmanians to consider the emotional toll of politics on parliamentarians’ families, after Premier Jeremy Rockliff issued a personal apology over disparaging comments made about the independent at the recent Liberal Party State Council.
Mr Garland described the remarks — made by Burnie branch member Liz Kinnheir‑Tarte in a speech supporting the overhaul of Tasmania’s Hare-Clark electoral system — as “gobsmacking”, saying they had negatively impacted the people closest to him.
The independent member for Braddon said Ms Kinnheir‑Tarte’s personal attack, which the Mercury has chosen not to re-publish but which identified him as an example of Hare-Clark not returning the “right people”, was as hurtful as it was ill-informed.
“If Hare-Clark was changed to a first past the post system, I would have been the third candidate elected in Braddon,” Mr Garland said.
“The situation reminds me of a Bible verse, in that the Liberals are more concerned about cleaning the outside of the cup than the inside.
“Families are the people who comments like these really affect.”
During parliamentary Question Time on Wednesday, Premier Rockliff Mr Rockliff revealed he had phoned and messaged Mr Garland in the wake of Ms Kinnheir‑Tarte’s remarks, and expressed his disapproval of hostile language in political discourse.
“I reached out to the honourable member by voicemail and then text and apologised on behalf of the Liberal Party for what was said, I want to make that very clear,” the Premier said.
“I’ve just spoken about vitriol and personal attacks, and my view that they have no place in informed debate.”
Mr Garland said he missed a call from the Premier on Saturday night, but responded to a subsequent apology text.
The Premier said community debate about the Hare-Clark system was not new, and the Liberal Party’s membership had the right to put forward ideas, and advocate for discussions on any number of topics.
Mr Rockliff acknowledged there was a broad range of views about Hare–Clark within the rank and file of his party, and that while the motion had passed at the State Council, he remained a supporter of the electoral status quo.
“My views are on record when it comes to the Hare-Clark system and they are probably counter to some of the views in the community,” he said.
“I’m actually a believer in the Hare-Clark system but I was influenced by my grandfather who was an engineer at the Hydro and a very good mathematician, and he thought it was the fairest system in the world at the time.
“Others would disagree with that, of course, with all sorts of matters around proportional representation, but that’s my personal view.
“The party organisation, of which we value the membership, chose to investigate alternative electoral systems, and I commend them for at least having a go.
“We have a lot to do focusing on health, education, our schools, public safety, and we have no plans around electoral system changes for the foreseeable future.”
Originally published as 'Gobsmacking': Premier apologises for Liberal party member’s attack on Braddon independent
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