Pembroke race hots up

Clarence councillor to run for Libs against Chipman and Mulder

THE battle for Pembroke is a showdown between a trio of male conservatives with council backgrounds — with Labor yet to announce a candidate.

Sitting member Vanessa Goodwin’s resignation from the Legislative Council seat was formally announced by Governor Kate Warner yesterday.

The Liberal Party yesterday announced its candidate for the seat would be 42-year-old Lindisfarne podiatrist James Walker, joining the municipality’s mayor and former Liberal Party state president Doug Chipman who threw his hatinto the ring on Sunday.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission declared late yesterday that the by-election for Pembroke would be held on Saturday, November 4. Nominations will close on October 12.

Former Clarence alderman and member for Romney Tony Mulder is also expected to run.

Announcing the Liberal candidacy yesterday, Premier Will Hodgman said Mr Walker had been a member of the party “for a long while, but he’s also a very strong local member of the community” who lived in the municipality.

Mr Walker said he was keen to advocate for locals during his campaign and if he was elected. “When people aren’t talking specifically about potholes, the cost of living is the number one conversation theme,” he said.

He said he had reconsidered his opposition to the Government’s plan to take over TasWater since voting against it with the remainder of the council in May.

“Sometimes there can be a document you can read that can change your perspective entirely. If you want to do that, why don’t you look at the TasWater annual financial reports?” he said.

The most recent TasWater annual report was published in November — seven months before the council vote.

Labor MP Lara Giddings said Labor would benefit from the big field of right-wing candidates.

“You’ve got a three-way split happening on the conservative vote in Pembroke,” she said. “That’s why this is an exciting election as well for Labor because we will be united behind our one candidate, and they may well find that they’re the horse that comes through the pack.”

Labor condemned the Liberal Party’s failure to promote women as candidates.

And, the State Government’s new ministers were yesterday sworn in at Government House.

The Cabinet reshuffle was announced last week after the sudden resignation of Matthew Groom. Speaker Elise Archer has been sworn in as Minister for Justice, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Environment and Parks, Minister for the Arts and as a member of the Executive Council.

Mr Hodgman was sworn in as Attorney-General, Peter Gutwein as Minister for State Growth and Guy Barnett as Minister for Energy.