Labor announces election candidates, nixes disunity talk
Labor leader Rebecca White has rejected barbs about her party’s preselection process, as a petition is launched over the “ridiculous, stupid decision” to overlook Dean Winter. LATEST >>
Tasmania
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LABOR leader Rebecca White has rejected Liberal barbs about her party’s preselection process, saying her opponents should focus on their own internal divisions.
At her party’s candidate launch in Launceston today, Ms White sidestepped questions about the rift between the left and right factions of her party over the preselection of popular Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter.
Former Labor Premier Lara Giddings described Mr Winter as “future premier material”, and former Labor MP Julian Amos said failing to preselect him was “ridiculous, stupid decision”.
Mr Winter, from the party’s right, missed out on a spot on the Labor ticket for Franklin because left-wing powerbrokers on the party’s administrative committee don’t like him.
Ms White said there was no chance of Mr Winter being a late addition.
“This is the team and I’m absolutely 100 per behind this team,” she said.
“There’s been a process has been undertaken by the Labor Party.
“The candidates that I have standing here with me are the candidates that will take to the state election. They’ve been endorsed by the Labor Party.
“They are good strong representatives for their community and I’m proud of every single one of them and know that they will be able to deliver a majority Labor government.”
Ms White indicated she would not be writing to the party’s federal executive about the preselection process.
“I’m 100 per cent confident that I’ve got the support of the party and I’ve got the best team to deliver a majority Labor government to make Tasmania a better and fairer place,” she said.
On Monday a group purporting to be Labor insiders launched an online petition redirecting from the domain preselectdeanwinter.com, calling on the “National ALP to immediately intervene to ensure Dean Winter is preselected for the Tas ALP in Franklin for the 2021 Tasmanian House of Assembly Election.”
The petition had 10 signatures at 2.30pm on Monday.
It was unclear whether the petition was the work of Labor insiders or mischief-making opponents.
Ms White said the Liberals had division of their own internal rifts to deal with, referring to comment raised in state parliament last week by Speaker Sue Hickey.
“The Liberals have no place to comment on what happens in Labor politics because they’re completely controlled by Eric Abetz,” she said.
“And we saw that again last week in the parliament where Peter Gutwein wouldn’t stand up to Eric Abetz for comments that were alleged to have been made by him because of the fact that Eric Abetz controls the Liberal Party.
“So if anyone wants to have a look at how parties are run, maybe the liberals should have put themselves first.”
Farmer, brewer, environmentalist among Labor’s line-up
LABOR will be focused on fighting for every seat in the state election rather than on internal battles, party leader Rebecca White says.
Launching her party’s candidates for the May 1 poll in Launceston on Monday, Ms White said education, healthcare, housing and privatisation would be the key issues in the campaign.
The new candidates announced on Monday included a farmer, a brewer, a handful of local councillors and a young environmental campaigner.
“Peter Gutwein and his government don’t deserve 11 years,’ Ms White said.
“This election will be fought on the fundamental things that matter to all Tasmanians, whether they can have a good education, access to good health care and access to a roof over their head and to stop Peter Godwin’s privatisation agenda.”
Ms White did not directly address a question about whether she was disappointed that Kingborough mayor Dean Winter had not been endorsed by party chiefs.
“I understand that there were more nominations than positions and that’s an endorsement of how excited people are to run for the Labor Party,” she said.
“We had ballots in more than one electorate. I recognise as disappointing for those candidates that missed out and I thank them for putting their names forward.”
Ms White would also not say if she would take the matter to the party’s national executive and said she had the local party behind her.
“I’m 100% confident that the I’ve got the support of the party.”
Labor revealed the names of 22 of its 25 House of Assembly candidates this morning. The remaining three are expected to be announced later today.
The party has nominated five candidates in each seat, in contrast to the Liberals which named six in several seats — sparking speculation “reserves” have been named to step in for sitting members who plan to retire partway through the next terms.
And Ms White took particular aim at Liberal Braddon candidate Adam Brooks, describing him as “a proven liar”.
“I think the people of Braddon deserve better than Adam Brooks, who’s had a damning Integrity Commission report released into him, was proven to have misled the parliament and lied to the former the former premier,” she said.
“That is not the type of person that has Tasmanian people need in their Parliament and the people of Braddon have got a clear choice to elect Labour candidates to the Tasmanian parliament, who have integrity who will work incredibly hard, and who won’t lie.”
Labor’s candidates are:
Clark
Ella Haddad*
Ben McGregor
Chris Clark
Simon Davis
+ one more to be announced later today.
Franklin
David O’Byrne*
Alison Standen*
Toby Thorpe
Fabiano Cangelosi
Amy Brumby
Lyons
Rebecca White*
Jen Butler*
Edwin Batt
Janet Lambert
Gerrard Gaffney
Bass
Michelle O’Byrne*
Jennifer Houston*
Janie Finlay
Adrian Hinds
Owen Powell
Braddon
Anita Dow*
Shane Broad*
Amanda Diprose.
+ 2 more to be announced later today.
* sitting member.
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