Readers reveal their preferred Labor leader, as David O’Byrne confident Labor will be elected to government at the next election

Premier Peter Gutwein has weighed in on the results of a poll that revealed Mercury readers’ preferred Labor leader being neither of the two MPs currently vying for the job. LATEST >>

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PREMIER Peter Gutwein has weighed in on the results of a Mercury poll that revealed Dean Winter was readers’ preferred Labor leader.

Speaking today, Mr Gutwein said Labor was “just in chaos at the moment”.

Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Chris Kidd

“I must admit I don’t often reflect on what’s written in the in the press but it was interesting with a poll being run yesterday in the southern newspaper The Mercury that out of the two leadership aspirants the one that won the race was Dean Winter.

“I just found that extraordinary.”

The survey of 1169 people to date on the Mercury’s website has found 38 per cent of respondents preferred Franklin MP Dean Winter as Labor leader.

The other options were leadership hopefuls Shane Broad (24 per cent) and David O’Byrne (17 per cent), and former leader Rebecca White (21 per cent).

Acting state Labor leader Anita Dow speaks to the media in St David's Park in Hobart on Friday, May 21, 2021.

Acting Labor leader Anita Dow said despite the results of the “community poll”, the leadership position would be ultimately determined by Labor members.

“I noted that poll and I suspect Dean would be pretty pleased about that,” Ms Dow said.

“But, as you say, Dean isn’t a candidate, he’s a welcome member of our new caucus and I personally am really looking forward to working with Dean and Janie [Finlay] who have come as new members of our caucus.

“Of course whoever will become the leader will be determined by our party membership, which is a great democratic process and I’m looking forward in my role as deputy to working whomever that is for the betterment of the Tasmanian Labor Party, but also the Tasmanian community.”

Labor’s Dean Winter. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Of the poll, Mr Winter told the Mercury: “I haven’t even sat in the parliament. I just want to do a good job as Member for Franklin”.

Mr Winter received more first preference votes in Franklin than Mr O’Byrne, who is competing against Dr Broad for the leadership.

The preselection of Mr Winter, the long-serving Kingborough Mayor, was initially blocked by the party’s Left-dominated administrative committee.

But that decision was appealed by Ms White to the Labor Party’s national executive, who signed off on Mr Winter’s candidacy.

Braddon MP Anita Dow stood unopposed for the role of deputy leader and is now acting as the party’s leader.

EARLIER:

LABOR will win government at the next state election in Tasmania, leadership aspirant MP David O’Byrne says.

Mr O’Byrne, who is standing against Shane Broad for the leadership of the party, said Labor had a big job ahead of it, but the steps were clear.

The party won just 28 per cent of the vote statewide and nine of the 25 seats in the Lower House. The Liberals won 13, and majority government.

“We need to be respectful, we need to be united, we need to have a singular focus on making sure that we present to the Tasmanian people a clear plan and a vision for the future of Tasmania,” Mr O’Byrne told ABC radio.

“[If] we do that and we do it well, we will be elected to government at the next election. I’m confident of that.”

David O’Byrne is confident Labor can win the next election. Picture: Chris Kidd

Mr O’Byrne said the infighting within the Labor Party hadn’t helped.

“Clearly there were some divisions inside the Labor Party that spilled out into the public domain, which damaged our campaign and damaged Labor’s ability to build the relationship and build trust with the Tasmanian community.

“When people come to the ballot box, while they either traditionally vote Labor or want to vote Labor, there’s something stopping them voting Labor. We need to get our heads around that, we need to listen.”

Shane Broad has put his hand up for the Labor leadership. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Mr O’Byrne admitted that internal dysfunction had damaged the party’s prospects of victory in the recent state election.

“The issue around the Dean Winter preselection is something which is absolutely regrettable,” he said.

“We are at our best when we’re focusing on the issues that Tasmanian people want us to focus on: the health crisis, the housing crisis, the chronic failure to deliver on infrastructure and people sitting in cars waiting for the infrastructure to be built, waiting for a coherent public transport system.

“These are the things Tasmanians want us to be talking about.”

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