Pro-industry MP Dean Winter to lead Tasmanian Labor, promising focus on jobs

Tasmanian Labor will on Wednesday elect a right faction, pro-industry young gun to try to lead it out of the political wilderness.

Dean Winter is set to become Tasmanian Labor Party leader. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tasmanian Labor will on Wednesday elect a Right faction, pro-industry young gun to try to lead it out of the political wilderness.

Dean Winter, 38, is understood to be the only candidate for leader and was due to be endorsed at a morning meeting of the parliamentary Labor Party, with Anita Dow as deputy.

After Labor’s fourth consecutive state election defeat, the popular former local mayor is promising to focus the party on supporting and growing industries, including salmon, mining and forestry.

“It would be a huge honour to be chosen to lead the Tasmanian branch of the Labor Party,” Mr Winter said. “I’ve looked up to and admired people like Jim Bacon and Eric Reece for my entire life.

“Like them, I want to be a Labor leader who is focused on jobs. We need to make sure Tasmanians understand that Labor is the party of jobs and opportunity.

“That we are committed to ­traditional industries, but also looking ahead to where our ­economic opportunities lie. The Albanese government has a massive renewable energy vision and I want Tasmania to play a big part in that.”

However, Mr Winter may face battles from sections of his own party and some unionists, who believe he is too far to the right.

His preselection for the 2021 state election occurred only after federal intervention to overrule Left-wing powerbrokers blocking his progress.

At the March 23 election this year, the state’s chief unionist and key Labor figure Jessica Munday displayed a poster advocating a vote for an independent in Mr Winter’s southern electorate of Franklin. Even so, Mr Winter has broad support within the PLP – including from many in the left – as the best person to take up the fight against a weakened minority Liberal government.

Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson were on Tuesday re-elected by their partyroom, despite dissatisfaction after a 12 per cent swing against the party.

The decision of Mr Winter’s Labor colleagues to support him for leader creates a further gap ­between the pragmatically ­focused PLP and sections of the party’s dominant Left determined to further marginalise the minority Right faction.

Labor’s Tasmanian branch emerged from national executive administration only shortly before the election.

The party was led to the last three elections by Rebecca White, whose supporters say was undermined by some in the union movement. Ms White resigned in the wake of the latest defeat.

Despite widespread voter ­dissatisfaction at the incumbent Liberal government, Labor ­managed a swing of only .8 of a percentage point.

Much of a 12 per cent swing against the Liberals flowed to the fledging Jacqui Lambie Network and independents, who will hold the balance of power in the new parliament.