Libs need to act quickly
ALMOST as important as who the Liberal Party chooses to replace its outgoing leader Will Hodgman is how it gets the job done. Since Tasmania’s 45th Premier made the shock announcement that he was stepping down on Tuesday, State Liberal MPs have been avoiding the limelight but there have been nearly enough hushed phone conversations to spark a Telstra outage.
Yesterday, Treasurer Peter Gutwein was first to announce his intention to run for Premier, with Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff on his ticket.
If picked by the party, a Gutwein/Rockliff ticket represents a business-as-usual approach to government. The two candidates are the more moderate conservatives and provide a relatively consistent option for the Liberal Party to continue the work started by Mr Hodgman and Mr Rockliff.
That pairing is also the option most likely to concern the Labor Party.
Although it would leave the South without representation in the top two jobs, it’s not just for parochial reasons that this would concern southern voters – for practical reasons it means both men are under significant pressure to travel and attend functions and appointments a long way from home.
Later yesterday, Transport Minister Michael Ferguson announced his intention to run with Attorney-General Elise Archer on his ticket.
THAT COMBINATION PROVIDES A NORTH AND SOUTH REPRESENTATIVE IN THE TWO KEY POSITIONS AND IS ALSO AN OPTION BEING HEARTILY SUPPORTED BY THE LIBERAL PARTY’S RIGHT-WING FACTION AS BEING A SYMBOL OF A RESET AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE SOME SENIOR FEMALE LEADERSHIP
The Ferguson/Archer ticket is also likely the preferred option of the Labor Party, members of which offer a smug smile when you mention the former health minister’s name as a potential successor to Mr Hodgman.
Mr Gutwein has experience in his corner. He has been solid as Treasurer and will be well across the detail. However, Mr Ferguson has networked hard internally and enjoys the support of Liberal heavyweights.
It’s undoubtedly a very close race, or else it would have been resolved without a public competition.
Sources say there are only a couple of members yet to declare their support for either candidate and that it’s on a knife-edge.
Should those undecided politicians try to hold out for a secret ballot in the hope of flying under the radar, they stand to gain very little other than to give the Labor Party a free kick.
Party faithfuls will hope members willingly show their hands, the numbers are crunched and the likely losers humbly and respectfully bow out of the race.
With a party room of just 15, there isn’t much room to hide. Given it would be the first time in 20 years the Liberals have been forced to resolve a leadership decision by ballot, it would be a very bad look to not find consensus early next week.
Indeed, some would suggest it would be a sure first sign that a divided party was starting to fragment without the glue that was outgoing Premier Will Hodgman to hold it together.
Responsibility for all editorial comment is taken by the Editor, Jenna Cairney, Level 1, 2 Salamanca Square, Hobart, TAS, 7000