Critics Julian Amos, James Boyce and Martyn Goddard lament Labor capitulation after state election result

A former Labor government minister has accused the party of being “off-the-dial mad” for not attempting to form government in coalition with minor parties MPs and independents.

A former Labor government minister has accused the party of being “off-the-dial mad” for not attempting to form government in coalition with minor parties MPs and independents.

Labor is expected to end up with 10 seats in the 35-seat House of Assembly after the finish of counting, compared with the Liberals’ likely 15.

In his regular newsletter, Julian Amos has criticised the decision of Labor’s administrative committee the accept defeat rather than try to take government.

“What happened is that a body unelected by the people just overruled their leader who was elected by the people,” he said.

Julian Amos is critical of Labor’s administrative committee.

“Which seems to suggest that for them their leader is just a puppet. There to do their bidding. What an absurd state of affairs.

“Labor’s Administrative Committee is off-the-dial mad.

“They dealt a body blow to the political authority of their own party at a time of great political volatility.

“This decision has relegated Labor to irrelevance, and has given a faux authority to a government that has lost credibility, a majority of voters and public support.”

James Boyce, author and historian. Picture: Matthew Newton

Writer and historian James Boyce observed that “an unelected cadre of a Labor Party committee summarily removed all power from the people we had just elected”

“Tasmanians had the right to expect would occur next is what happens after elections in democracies – discussions to determine who will have the confidence of the majority of MPs and is thus able to form a government,” he wrote.

“We are now faced with the real prospect of having a government that does not reflect what the majority of members of parliament would choose.

“The way out of the crisis is for MPs to take back control of our democracy’s destiny.

“Rather than leaving it to the party machines to determine who will form government, the cross bench can unite on a common position to restore the sovereignty of parliament.”

Labor leader Rebecca White in the tally room. Picture: Chris Kidd

And writing on his Policy Post website, analyst Martyn Goddard also condemned Labor for giving up.

“The last Liberal government in Australia did not actually win the Tasmanian election,” he wrote.

“That they didn’t lose either is due solely to the incompetence of the Labor leadership and the blind brutality of that party’s factional warlords.

“The re-formed Liberal government will rely for its existence on unknown and unpredictable independents.

“That arrangement is unlikely to last for longer than a year or two, when there will be another election.”

Originally published as Critics Julian Amos, James Boyce and Martyn Goddard lament Labor capitulation after state election result