Shock as Liberal MP Rene Hidding announces immediate resignation

UPDATED: Premier Will Hodgman has averted a political crisis for his government by delaying the resumption of state parliament. REPLAY THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Liberal MP for Lyons Rene Hidding has announced his resignation. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

UPDATED: PREMIER Will Hodgman has averted a political crisis for his Government by delaying the resumption of state parliament for a week.

The Government faced the prospect of being unable to command a majority of votes in the House of Assembly when parliament resumed on March 12 after the sudden departure of Lyons MP Rene Hidding.

Labor accused the Premier of cowardice for the decision and Greens leader Cassy O’Connor attacked both major parties for playing politics.

After losing control of his Government, Will Hodgman is now running away from governing and scrutiny by delaying the return to Parliament #politas

— Rebecca White (@bec_white) February 26, 2019

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission on Monday announced that notices calling for nominations for a recount in Lyons would be placed in newspapers on Saturday.

The Electoral Act requires a 10-day period for candidates to declare their intention to contest

a recount.

That period expires at noon on March 12, which would have left the Government beginning the first sitting day with 11 votes to the opposition parties’ combined 12.

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WHO WILL REPLACE RENE HIDDING?

MP SEX ACCUSER TO MAKE STATEMENT TO POLICE

Mr Hodgman said he had decided to delay parliament for a week until a full complement of MPs was present.

“I have received advice that the most appropriate course of action is to delay the resumption of parliament by one week until March 19, and the Governor has accepted my recommendation that this occur,” he said.

“This will allow the new member for Lyons to take their place and for the make-up of parliament to reflect the results of last year’s election.

“An updated sitting schedule will be developed in due course and there will be no reduction in the number of sitting days.”

You could have agreed to grant a pair and not given them the ready excuse to run and hide.

A pox on both your houses.

— Cassy O'Connor 🍀 (@CassyOConnorMP) February 26, 2019

Mr Hodgman said he was confident the new MP would be Liberal John Tucker.

Labor leader Rebecca White — who earlier sought advice about whether to grant the government a “pair” to make up for the absence of Mr Hidding — was angry at what she said was the Government’s attempt to dodge scrutiny.

“Premier Hodgman’s disgraceful decision late today to delay the resumption of parliament is further confirmation of his complete loss of control of his government,” she said.

“After losing control of his Government, Will Hodgman is now running away from governing and showing extraordinary cowardice.

“This is a government in absolute turmoil. Mr Hodgman was elected by the people of Tasmania to do his job, not hide from it.

“This is a Premier who is presiding over absolute chaos and he needs to grow a backbone and face up to scrutiny.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said Ms White could have avoided the delay.

“You could have agreed to grant a pair and not given them the ready excuse to run and hide.

A pox on both your houses,” she tweeted.

EARLIER: THE State Government will be unable to command a majority of votes in the House of Assembly when when parliament resumes for the year on March 12.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission today annouced that notices calling for nominations for a recount in Lyons — vacated by Liberal MP Rene Hidding — would be advertised on Saturday.

Mr Hidding quit yesterday amid sexual abuse allegations — claims he strongly denies.

The Electoral Act requires a 10-day period for candidates to declare their intention to contest a recount.

That period ends at noon on March 12 — the first sitting day of State Parliament for the year.

Premier Will Hodgman yesterday said he would seek a “pair” — an arrangement with the opposition that one of their members abstain from voting.

Unless a pair is granted, the Government will have just 11 votes in the House of Assembly and will not be able to prevail if the opposition parties — with 12 votes between them — vote together.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White today said she did not know whether a pair would be possible.

She said she was seeking urgent advice of the Clerk of the Parliament and the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.

“The Premier has lost control of his Government,” Ms White said.

“Tasmanians deserve and expect stable government and they should not be punished for the ongoing chaos in the Hodgman Government.

“The Premier indicated he would be seeking a pair from the Opposition for a seat which is now vacant.

“To date we have not received any request.

“I am seeking advice on whether there is precedent for granting a pair for a vacant seat.”

Liberal John Tucker has advised he will nominate to contest the recount.

The TEC said the recount would begin shortly after noon on March 12.

OVERNIGHT: THE Hodgman Government has been plunged into crisis by the resignation of long-serving MP Rene Hidding over child sex abuse allegations.

Mr Hidding resigned with immediate effect on Monday afternoon after a 23-year parliamentary career — strenuously denying the accusations made against him.

He is the second member of the Government to quit in a fortnight after Braddon MP Adam Brooks resigned on February 11.

Two Tasmanian detectives will travel to Queensland on Tuesday to take a statement from the woman who has accused Mr Hidding of sexually abusing her when she was 15 or 16.

A recount in Mr Hidding’s seat of Lyons is expected to take several weeks.

It could leave the Government in minority with 11 votes on the floor of the 25-seat House of Assembly and the Opposition parties with a combined 12 when Parliament resumes on March 12.

By convention, Speaker Sue Hickey votes only in the event of a tie.

Mr Hidding, a former state opposition leader and police minister, issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.

“I am devastated at the false and malicious allegations levelled against me through the media,” he said.

Rene Hidding during Question Time in Parliament. Picture: KIM EISZELE

“These allegations have been made in the context of a wider, long-term, bitter dispute.

“In order to afford my family the normal rights to privacy and due process, and to deal with this matter appropriately, it is best that I do so as a private citizen rather than from inside the fishbowl of Tasmanian politics.

“I call on my political opponents to not indulge in cheap point-scoring by characterising my resignation as any form of acceptance of guilt. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.”

Mr Hodgman said proper processes should be allowed to run their course.

“The circumstances that have come to light via recent media reports, as I say of a very serious nature, and they are also a sensitive matter, and I would urge that caution around these circumstances be exercised and that proper process be allowed to occur,” he said.

“Mr Hidding is of course also entitled to the presumption of innocence and he has strenuously denied these allegations.

“All parties and circumstances of this nature are also entitled to expect that they be dealt with appropriately and by the appropriate authorities, which is exactly why I referred this matter to the Police Commissioner on Saturday after learning about these matters by the media report.

“There may be legal proceedings undertaken in due course and they should be appropriately allowed to run their course without political commentary or, worse still — which I think is a vain hope — an absence of political game-playing by opposition parties.”

Premier Will Hodgman discusses Rene Hidding’s resignation. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

The Premier said he would ask Labor to provide a pair for Mr Hidding’s vote while a recount for his replacement — expected to be Liberal candidate John Tucker — is being determined.

“We’ll take advice from the Electoral Commission as to the timing and, if it’s expected that it may not be possible to fill that vacancy before Parliament’s resumption, we will of course seek a pair from the opposition parties which I would think in the circumstances is entirely appropriate to grant,” he said.

Labor on Monday night would not reveal whether it would grant the Government a pair.

“Mr Hidding’s resignation is just the latest in a series of blows to the Hodgman Government,” Labor spokesman Shane Broad said. “It is just two weeks since Adam Brooks was forced to resign after three years of scandal.

“Will Hodgman looked broken and bewildered today and has clearly lost control of his government.”

The woman who made the allegations on Monday said she had tried to report the matter to Mr Hodgman’s office in early February this year — something Mr Hodgman denied.

“I can say categorically that my office has never received a complaint of the nature as reported,” he said.

“My office did receive a call from someone who wished to remain anonymous in early February, but at no time was my office or myself or my staff made aware of the nature of any allegations.”

The woman told the Mercury that she would make a statement to police.

“I want to see this to the end,” she said. “I’m tired of being abandoned, I am tired of being labelled a liar.”

EARLIER: LONG-serving State Liberal MP Rene Hidding has announced his immediate resignation from politics in the wake of allegations of historical sex abuse.

Mr Hidding released a statement strenuously denying the allegations.

“I am devastated at the false and malicious allegations levelled against me through the media,” he said.

“My family are also devastated as they are only too aware of the nature and history of this broader dispute. I have for some time been aware of the threat of false allegations being invented for the purpose of damaging me as a public figure. But I did not know what type of allegation would be made. Needless to say I am extremely upset by them and refute them strongly.

MORE

WHO WILL REPLACE RENE HIDDING

“In the 40 years since she lived with us, the individual has never before raised these matters.”

Mr Hidding said he had never had any contact with Tasmania Police in relation to the allegations.

“There have been many threats made to me and my family, but until this weekend I did not know what type of allegation might be made, nor that an approach to Tasmania Police had actually happened,” he said.

“I acknowledge that I have been a public figure, but that does not deny me the presumption of innocence and the right for an investigation to be undertaken in the proper way, under the rule of law.

“My immediate aim is to secure the wellbeing of my family and myself after this devastating and malicious attack on us.

“In order to afford my family the normal rights to privacy and due process, and to deal with this matter appropriately, it is best that I do so as a private citizen rather than from inside the fishbowl of Tasmanian politics.

“I am at retirement age in any event and in my last term. I have been to Government House and have retired from my political career today.

“I have nothing to hide and the proper authorities must be able to undertake any investigation without further politically motivated, public commentary.

“I call on my political opponents to not indulge in cheap point scoring by characterising my resignation as any form of acceptance of guilt, in fact it’s quite the opposite.

“I am saddened that I now need to step aside so I can confront false, malicious and hurtful allegations. I ask that my family’s privacy now be respected.”

Mr Hidding has been a Liberal member for Lyons since 1996.

He was state opposition leader between August 2002 and March 2006.

During the Hodgman Government’s first term he was Minister for Police and Emergency Management and Minister for Infrastrutuce.

He was the government’s choice for Speaker, although was gazumped on the first day of the new Parliament by member for Denison Sue Hickey, who was elected with the support of Labor and the Greens.

Premier Will Hodgman says proper process must be allowed to occur and Mr Hidding is entitled to presumption of innocence.

He hoped the Labor Party would grant “a pair” to maintain the balance of numbers in Parliament until Mr Hidding’s replacement is determined.

Replay Mr Hodgman’s press conference below.