Hickey broadside after being left out of Liberal party brochures

Liberal speaker Sue Hickey says her Liberal stablemate Elise Archer is trying to deflect from “recent performance difficulties” by leaving her out of a promotional flyer.

• Tasmanian Government denies Archer-Hickey feud
• Elise Archer wanted Sue Hickey dropped from government brochure

SPEAKER Sue Hickey has launched a broadside against party colleague Elise Archer after being left out of Liberal Party promotional material for the electorate they both represent.

Government MPs around the state have banded together to produce leaflets promoting the party team in each electorate.

But in the seat of Clark, Ms Archer appears alone in the glossy flyer, which is authorised by Premier Peter Gutwein.

Ms Hickey said she knew nothing about the brochures and is not impressed at being left out.

“Despite being the other Liberal Member for Clark, I wasn’t even asked to contribute to this brochure and was completely unaware it was being printed,” she said.

Speaker Sue Hickey at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“I think this has been a serious error of judgment.

“It is possible that I was left out of the brochure because Minister Archer needs positive press to offset her recent performance difficulties.

“Otherwise, it is of course possible that I have been publicly dumped with no reason or explanation.’

Ms Hickey’s support is critical for the government – which holds a slim majority with 13 of the 25 seats in the House of Assembly.

She said she is disappointed at the way she has been treated.

“It is because of these silly, unproductive games that good people do not stand for politics.

“I was elected by the people of Clark, I am not giving in, I’m not going away and I will continue to work hard for them, as I do now.

“As they say ‘if you want friends in politics, get a dog’.”

Tasmanian Liberal campaign pamphlet for Clark showing only Elise Archer as local member.

In Lyons and Prosser, the united Liberal have put out a brochure featuring Lower House members Guy Barnett, Mark Shelton, John Tucker and MLC Jane Howlett.

But the brochure for Clark features Ms Archer alone, with five photos of the MP and none featuring her seat mate.

“The brochures were organised and funded by individual MPs,” Liberal Party state director Stuart Smith said.

Labor member for Clark Ella Haddad said Elise Archer appeared to have won the latest round in the longstanding feud with Ms Hickey.

“It’s no secret Sue Hickey was highly critical of both Michael Ferguson and Elise Archer ahead of this year’s Liberal leadership contest, where the pair were defeated by Peter Gutwein and Jeremy Rockliff,” she said.

“The infighting is clearly continuing and is showing up in the petty decision to leave out Sue Hickey from the Liberals’ new glossy promotional material.

“This is the clearest sign yet that Ms Hickey is still being sidelined by the party she represents.

“A big question remains on if she will gain preselection, which leaves a lot of uncertainty for the voters of Clark.”

Tasmanian Liberal pamphlet for Lyons and Prosser is much more inclusive.

When another batch of leaflets went out last December, Ms Archer sent an email to all Liberal MPs except Ms Hickey saying she did not approve of promotional brochures including the Speaker being considered for statewide distribution.

Ms Archer said Ms Hickey was not a supporter of the government.

“It could have been personalised to be mine and she’d never know. Who approved this decision?” she asked.

When the email became public Mr Hickey responded that Ms Archer was “under enormous pressure in her multiple portfolios and in the spirit of Christmas, I forgive her.”

Ms Archer in 2018 denied calling Ms Hickey a “treacherous” or “traitorous” “bitch” for taking the Speaker’s job.

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