Expelled Liberal Brendan Blomeley’s explosive email reveals ongoing personal rifts

The deep personal divisions in the Liberal Party continue to be felt in the wake of the expulsion of veteran Brendan Blomeley. Read the contents of his latest email.

BUSH SUMMIT, Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley at Blundstone Arena. Picture: Chris Kidd

The deep personal rifts in the Tasmanian Liberal Party have been laid bare in an explosive letter sent to party members by exiled veteran Brendan Blomeley.

In an email sent on Saturday night to Franklin Liberal members, the Clarence mayor accuses some of intimidation and sexist behaviour at the party’s state council meeting in Launceston last weekend and suggests the party is “a mere shadow of what it once was”.

Breaking his silence since delegates to the state council refused to discuss a motion for a peace plan to resolve an impasse over his expulsion, Mr Blomeley said it was “delusional” to celebrate a fourth term in government.

“In recent times, the leadership has seen the departure of the federal member for Braddon, two mayors and a councillor, all of whom have one trait in common — proven electoral appeal,” he wrote.

“On top of this, we are now losing members, with numerous resignations since the State Council debacle.

“All the while the leadership refuses to take responsibility for the 12 per cent reduction in our vote at the last election.

“The loss of support, or a review of the campaign was not even considered at State Council.

“Instead, we had delusional backslapping talk of an historic fourth term.

“Unless we rebuild and heed the electorate it is inevitable that we will lose even more support.”

Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley. Picture: Chris Kidd

Mr Blomeley claims a senior Liberal referred to a female office bearer as “hot” while discussing the party’s finances at the council meeting.

“This ugly sexist remark however did not earn any condemnation from those who one suspects orchestrated an anonymous ‘complaint’ to a Greens MP and who found it necessary to make public statements backing in the defamatory treachery,” he said.

“To think that any Liberal woman who experienced inappropriate behaviour would go to a Greens MP to complain and not report the matter to one of our numerous female MP’s or office bearers stretches credulity.

“The double standards and hypocrisy are crystal clear.”

Under parliamentary privilege, the member for Hobart in the Legislative Council Cassy O’Connor, accused Mr Blomeley of allegedly “bullying and intimidating women” and said there was an active complaint against him in the party.

Mr Blomeley claims a text message was sent to female members asking if they were OK after Ms O’Connor’s allegations.

“It can be difficult being a woman in our party at times and we need to support each other. Reach out if you need to talk,” the text read.

Mr Blomeley said: “In over three decades of membership, I have not witnessed such appalling behaviour in our Party before.

“In short, while many other matters can be listed showing how the leadership is letting us down, sadly the Party today is a mere shadow of what it once was and can be again.”

He said a young woman who moved an urgency motion supporting a peace plan had been interrupted during her 60 seconds to speak to the motion.

Delegates refused to consider the motion, which Mr Blomeley said had been supported by several branches.

“To so willingly humiliate the Premier for self-preservation is devastatingly disappointing,” he wrote.

“Strong unassailable legal opinion, numerous motions of support from the membership in Franklin, Clark, and other branches, together with the Premier’s peace plan are all arrogantly and dismissively ignored without a single thought as to the damage caused to the reputation of our once great Party.”