‘Toxic, sad, depressing’: Labor blasted in shock resignation

A Tasmanian shadow minister has quit the Labor Party citing a “sad and depressing” work environment saying he felt like a pawn in a “stupid game”.

LABOR’S rising star Bastian Seidel has unexpectedly announced he will quit the Legislative Council because he is fed up with the infighting and leaks from within the Labor Party.

Dr Seidel, the member for the Huon and Labor’s Shadow Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing emerged from a Parliamentary Labor Party meeting to announce his decision on Monday afternoon.

“Rebecca (White) accepted my resignation this morning,” he said.

“I’ll leave parliament on its last sitting day this year on the third of December.”

Dr Seidel said he could no longer work in Tasmanian Labor’s “toxic environment”.

“The problems in the Labor Party are obvious,” he said. “I’ve tried to work constructively to solve some of the issues in our party but I’ve come to the realisation that I have failed.

Tasmania's Opposition health spokesman Bastian Seidel has resigned from parliament. Picture Eddie Safarik

“I can’t work in a toxic environment, and can’t work with people who constantly leak information to the media out of pure selfishness.

“I don’t enjoy political infighting compared to others. I actually don’t get a kick out of it. It is sad and depressing.

“And too often, I felt that I’ve just been a pawn in somebody else’s stupid game.”

Dr Seidel, 46, was elected as the Labor member for Huon in August last year.

He said he would not sit as an independent, because he was elected as a Labor candidate.

“My brief time in politics has left me disillusioned, bitter and just sad,” he said.

“There has to be virtue in politics. But I just can’t see it.”

Leaks from within the Labor Party room were the major factor in his decision.

“I’ve been quite clear to my colleagues in caucus that when we have debates and discussions in the party room, they are meant to be confidential. It’s not extraordinary to expect that. And I think after last night when there was almost a live news feed straight from the caucus room. I mean, it’s not a working environment, I can’t be in that, I can’t do it.”

His departure will leave Labor with four of 15 seats in the Legislative Council.

Dr Seidel said he was looking forward to returning to work as a general practitioner.

Labor leader Rebecca White thanked Dr Seidel for his service.

“His departure is not just a loss to the Labor party but to the Parliament and the people of Tasmania,” she said.

“I understand Bastian’s frustrations with the party and it is terrible that as a consequence of the events of the past few months Labor has lost someone of his credibility, calibre, dedication to the community and who has so much to offer public life in this state.

“Both before and during his political career, Bastian has made a significant contribution to public policy and I want to acknowledge and thank him for the huge amount of work he did to prepare and present Labor’s health policies at the most recent election and for his hard work during the campaign.”

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