Liberal Party members want Brendan Blomeley’s expulsion overturned

Liberal Party members have issued an ultimatum over the expulsion of a long-serving member. Find out the latest.

Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley at Richmond. Picture: Chris Kidd

A meeting of 85 Liberal Party members has thrown its unanimous support behind Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley and want his expulsion from the party immediately overturned.

A motion was carried at the meeting on Thursday night calling on party president Michael McKenna to reinstate Mr Blomeley as a party member and chair of the Franklin electorate committee.

In an email to Franklin members after the meeting, which went for just over an hour, Mr Blomeley said he was pleased with the support shown by members, including those from other electorates.

“Simply put, the State President’s unsustainable position of purportedly expelling me is vehemently opposed by our membership,” he wrote.

“It was patently clear this evening (Thursday) that the membership has spoken, and we will not allow this matter to rest.

“Commonsense must prevail and my ongoing membership confirmed.”

The party ceased Mr Blomeley’s membership because of comments he made to the media where he did not rule out running as an independent at the state election.

After his expulsion Mr McKenna emailed members saying: “I acknowledge that Mr Blomeley has been a long-time servant of the Party, and it is important to note that under Clause 33 b) he may at any time apply to the State Executive to re-join the Party.”

At Thursday night’s meeting the motion expressed full confidence in Mr Blomeley, a party member for more than 30 years, and rejected his expulsion.

The motion said at “no time” did he “announce” a nomination and that an “automatic expulsion is of immediate effect and cannot be deferred and then backdated”.

Members say they will declare “no confidence in the President unless he withdraws his interpretation of the constitution which saw the expulsion of Mayor Blomeley, by close of business (5pm) tomorrow (12th April 2024)”.

The motion noted that the Liberals “suffered a massive loss” of more than 12 per cent of its primary vote at the March election.

“Instead of immediately analysing this electoral drubbing the President has sought to expel Tasmania’s only publicly identified democratically elected Liberal Mayor who as Chair helped oversee the ONLY extra additional seat to the Liberals’ Parliamentary ranks,” it said.

“It seems success which highlights under performance elsewhere requires expulsion.”

The motion was moved by Don Cusick and seconded by Kingborugh councillor Aldo Antolli.

Originally published as Liberal Party members want Brendan Blomeley’s expulsion overturned