Felix Ellis,Liberal Member for Braddon
With less than 48 hours left until the due date of Labor’s review into its election failures and toxic culture, its own members are still waiting to hear if the party will go ahead with its State Conference this year.
Last year, Labor sensationally cancelled its State Conference in fear of exposing the party’s civil war to the public.
The ABC reported the event was canned amid “rumours of protests, stunt motions and a move to reinstall short-term leader David O’Byrne” with the journalist saying the conference would have been like an episode of the Korean drama Squid Game.
In October, State secretary Stuart Benson said the conference would be held after the federal election.
Will they front up this year or is the party still too divided to come together?
Questions remain unanswered about whether this much-anticipated report will reveal who was involved in the leaking of a confidential complaint against the former party president for political gain – a question Labor leader Rebecca White has failed to answer time and time again.
With rumours swirling about a new president of the Party coming from the Left faction, what would that mean for David O’Byrne who remains on the crossbench as a painful reminder of the party’s division?
And what of failed leader Rebecca White’s future? She said herself after her second election defeat that the party needed new leadership, only to return a few weeks later devoid of any new ideas or vision.
As the clock continues to count down to 30 June, Ms White owes some answers to party members as well as the Tasmanian public.
