BITTER FEUD FLARES

I certainly don’t approve of SH being on it.

A LEAKED email reveals that the bitter animosity between senior members of the State Government remains — 10 years after the feud began.

Attorney-General Elise Archer has told colleagues she does not want Liberal Speaker Sue Hickey on a brochure promoting the Government.

“I certainly don’t approve of SH being on it, helping her to gain votes as Liberal when none of those initiatives are hers,” she writes.

Ms Hickey expressed disappointment at the email, disputing accusations that she regularly chooses to not support the Government.

A LEAKED email has revealed the bitter feud between two senior members of the State Government is still raging a decade after it began.

Attorney-General Elise Archer told colleagues she didn’t want Speaker Sue Hickey included on brochures promoting the Government.

Ms Archer and Ms Hickey are both Liberal members for the state seat of Clark. In a message dated December 4, sent to all Liberal MPs except Ms Hickey — and senior ministerial staff including the Premier’s chief of staff — Ms Archer says she did not approve of promotional brochures including the Speaker being considered for statewide distribution.

“I don’t approve and I certainly don’t approve of SH being on it, helping her to gain votes as Liberal when none of those initiatives are hers,” it reads. “They’re the Government’s, which she chooses not to support, regularly.

“It could have been personalised to be mine and she’d never know. Who approved this decision?”

Ms Archer did not directly address a question about her

relationship with Ms Hickey today — or whether she would be happy standing with Ms Hickey on the Liberal ticket again.

“As I’ve said time and time again … anyone wants to put their hand up for Tasmanian Parliament, that is their right to do so. It is the Tasmanian people, and indeed in this situation, the electors of Clark, who make that decision.”

Her office did not comment on the email yesterday, nor deny her authorship. But Ms Archer later released a statement, saying she has “always been prepared to work constructively with Ms Hickey”.

After being shown the email by the Mercury, Ms Hickey said

she was disappointed. “I have received a copy of an email apparently sent by the AttorneyGeneral of Tasmania, the Hon Elise Archer,” she said.

“This email makes the statement that I choose not to support the Government regularly, which is of course not true. I have made it very clear that the Premier and the Government have my full support for matters of confidence and supply.

“It is disappointing Ms Archer would write such an email about one of her Liberal colleagues, but I understand that she is under enormous pressure in her multiple portfolios and, in the spirit of Christmas, I forgive her.

“I would love to think that

Elise would be prepared to work together with me in a really productive way for the benefit of the people of Clark from here on.”

Relations between Ms Hickey and Ms Archer have been frosty since an incident at the Taste of Tasmania a decade ago.

Ms Hickey alienated herself from some of her Liberal colleagues by successfully nominating the speaker’s role on her first day in Parliament last year — and crossing the floor to vote with opposition parties several times since.

Ms Archer last year denied calling Ms Hickey a “treacherous” or “traitorous bitch” for taking the speaker’s job.

I DON’T APPROVE AND I CERTAINLY DON’T APPROVE OF SH BEING ON IT, HELPING HER TO GAIN VOTES AS LIBERAL WHEN NONE OF THOSE INITIATIVES ARE HERS

IIT IS DISAPPOINTING MS ARCHER WOULD WRITE SUCH AN EMAIL .ABOUT ONE OF HER LIBERAL COLLEAGUES, BUT ... IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, I FORGIVE HER