‘No fight, no plan’: Adelaide councillor Henry Davis quits SA Liberals as state election looms

A veteran Liberal Party member has abandoned ship months before state elections, warning the opposition is "snoozing" while Labor runs unchecked.

Controversial Adelaide City councillor Henry Davis has handed in his resignation notice to the Liberal Party after almost 20 years of service – just months before the state election early next year.

Mr Davis, who joined the SA Liberals as a 16-year-old volunteer and later served as branch president, gave his official resignation to the party’s state director on Friday citing concerns over what he called a lack of direction, purpose, and fight.

On his way out, Mr Davis told The Advertiser he’s disappointed in how the party has changed.

“I believed in small government, personal responsibility, and standing up for families and small businesses,” he said. “The party I joined no longer exists.”

Adelaide City Councillor Henry Davis quits Liberal Party. Picture: Supplied

But Mr Davis’ biggest concern was the party’s failure to be a united front against Labor.

“There is no urgency. No direction. No unity. Just a disjointed party at war with itself,” he said. “The executive, the leader, and the MPs are pulling in different directions while Labor runs unchecked.

“The opposition should be a constant pressure on the government to do better, we have a bad government because we in part have a bad opposition.

“The opposition set the standard and hold the government to that standard … the opposition is snoozing and we are losing. (Liberals) don’t seem to understand that.

“There’s no pressure, no advocacy, no fight.”

Leader of the Opposition Vincent Tarzia. Picture Dean Martin

But Mr Davis said he did not believe Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia was the cause of the party’s problems.

“I personally like Vincent, he’s intelligent and he is a decent man,” Mr Davis said.

“This isn’t all his fault but the truth is, he’s trying to lead a rabble with no united vision … I don’t think he can get (the Liberal Party) in line to form an effective fighting force.”

Mr Davis says his “future is unknown” at the moment but he would continue in his role as an Adelaide City Councillor and his day job as a lawyer.

His resignation comes after the state Liberal Party lost a string of top members including their previous leader David Speirs, Legislative Council member Jing Lee, and frontbencher Matt Cowdrey who is set to quit at the next election in March.

The party has also suffered historic losses of former leader Steven Marshall’s seat of Dunstan and Mr Speirs seat of Black in by-elections.

Originally published as ‘No fight, no plan’: Adelaide councillor Henry Davis quits SA Liberals as state election looms