Labor bloodletting sees frontbencher quit, ex-leader forced out

Tasmanian Labor is reeling, with a key frontbencher quitting out of frustration and a former leader evicted from caucus over harassment allegations.

David O'Byrne has confirmed kissing and send “sexually suggestive” text messages to an employee. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmanian Labor is reeling, with a key frontbencher quitting out of frustration at “toxic …infighting” and a former leader evicted from caucus in fallout from sexual harassment allegations.

Labor health spokesman Dr Bastian Seidel on Monday announced his immediate resignation from caucus and the frontbench, saying he “did not sign up for” “political infighting and stupid games” inside the ALP.

His shock departure came as ex-leader David O’Byrne was forced out of caucus, following anger at his response to findings of inappropriate conduct involving a former junior employee.

Dr Seidel, a former national president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, was a key performer for Labor, his campaigning on health helping it stem losses during an otherwise disastrous state election campaign.

However, after months of internal warfare within Labor during and after the May 1 state election campaign, he announced his resignation from caucus and intention to leave parliament in December.

“I have tried to work constructively to solve some of our issues in our party, but have come to the realisation that I have failed,” Dr Seidel said.

“I can’t work in a toxic environment and I can’t work with people who constantly leak information to the media out of pure selfishness.

“I don’t enjoy political infighting. Compared to others – I actually don’t get a kick out of it. It is sad and depressing and too often I felt like I was a dispensable pawn in somebody else’s stupid game. I did not sign up for that. My community and my electorate of Huon did not sign up for that either.”

Former Tasmanian Labor Premiers Paul Lennon and Lara Giddings speak to the media in Hobart on Monday. They want former Labor leader David O’Byrne to leave parliament.

Mr O’Byrne quit as party leader in early July after just 20 days in the job, following a complaint about his conduct in 2007 towards a junior employee of the union he then headed.

A Labor-commissioned investigation earlier in August found he engaged in inappropriate conduct but cleared him of sexual harassment.

Mr O’Byrne has confirmed kissing and send “sexually suggestive” text messages to the then-employee, Rachel Midson, saying he thought at the time the interactions were consensual.

Senior figures were dismayed at what they saw as his attempts to rehabilitate his leadership credentials after the investigation findings.

Labor leader Rebecca White said on Monday she and other caucus members had asked Mr O’Byrne to resign and leave parliament, given the findings of inappropriate conduct. Hours later, he announced his resignation from caucus, but not from parliament.

Mr O’Byrne said he would remain in parliament, as a crossbench independent Labor MP. “I intend to remain a member of the Labor Party and continue in my role as Labor member for Franklin for the next four years,” he said.

Calls for Mr O’Byrne to quit parliament were also made by former Labor premiers Paul Lennon, of the Right faction, and Lara Giddings, of the Left. “David O’Byrne should do the honourable thing and resign from the Tasmanian parliament,” the two former leaders said in a statement.

“Women are rightly no longer tolerating inappropriate behaviour in the workplace and are speaking out. No woman should feel that her workplace is not a safe environment.”

Mr O’Byrne, who apologised to Ms Midson when the allegations became public early in July, did not respond to a request for comment on the former premier’s remarks.