O’Byrne chases Tas Labor leadership but ‘reformer’ may join contest

Tasmanian Labor MP David O’Byrne may face a challenger when he nominates for the party leadership on Monday, with potential rival Shane Broad considering standing on a reform platform.

David O'Byrne announces his intention to run as Labor leader, while attending daughter Ava’s football game at Clarence High School Oval. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmanian Labor MP David O’Byrne may face a challenger when he nominates for the party leadership on Monday, with potential rival Shane Broad considering standing on a reform platform.

Mr O’Byrne, Labor’s treasury spokesman, on Sunday confirmed his intention to stand for the leadership, vacated on Saturday by Rebecca White, in the wake of Labor’s May 1 state election loss.

Sources said Ms White was pushed out by Left faction union leaders, but Mr O’Byrne — a former leader of one of those unions — insisted he was “not beholden to anyone” aside from Tasmanians.

“There are challenges facing the Labor Party, there is work to do internally, we need to be a party that is united and that is focused on the issues that the Tasmanian community wants us to focus on,” he said.

“We are at our best when we are focused on the needs of Tasmanians and we need to unite the party around that cause.”

However, the 52-year-old former minister — who confirmed reports in The Australian that his deputy would be Braddon MP and fellow Left faction member Anita Dow — may have to fight Dr Broad in a ballot.

Dr Broad, unaligned but backed by the Right, was on Sunday night “in discussions” with colleagues about a possible tilt.

A nomination by Dr Broad would force a ballot, with party members having 50 per cent of the vote and conference delegates — dominated by Left unions — 50 per cent.

An agricultural scientist, Dr Broad is being urged to run by those in the party who feel the left-wing Health and Community Services Union and Mr O’Byrne’s old United Workers Union wield too much power internally.

Mr O’Byrne would be favourite to win the ballot but Dr Broad’s supporters say he could succeed, running as a moderate standing up to “faceless” powerbrokers.

Ms White agreed to quit in exchange for the ALP national executive having stewardship over a review of state party rules and processes and over implementation of that review’s recommendations.

Mr O’Byrne on Sunday would not give an unequivocal commitment to implement those recommendations and refused to back calls for Left-aligned party president Ben McGregor to be dumped.

Mr McGregor was pushed by Ms White to withdraw as an election candidate after it was revealed he had sent “vulgar” text messages to a woman.

Backed by the same Left union factional heavyweights who back Mr O’Byrne, Mr McGregor has refused to stand aside as president and has threatened to sue Ms White for defamation.

Mr O’Byrne, a former unionist with seven years parliamentary experience, talked up his working class credentials, speaking of his “tradie painter” father and cleaner mother. “The values they gave me are the values that have driven me in my life,” he said.