Current Labor Leader Rebecca White failed to regain control of her flagging leadership with a lacklustre performance in Parliament today, in a desperate attempt to paper over the divisions in her party.
Labor leadership candidate David O’Byrne had a free-rein on media events over the past three weeks, with Ms White in hiding, but today the shadow Treasurer was virtually gagged in Question Time.
It’s been five days and Ms White still hasn’t clearly stated any support for the agreement to deliver Tasmania’s return to the National Basketball League – but she clearly wasn’t going to let Mr O’Byrne speak for her again today.
As soon as he became the Shadow Treasurer, Mr O’Byrne used a newspaper column to push his leadership ambitions saying “I will do the hard work needed to put before Tasmanians a vision and plan for the State’s finances” .
But five months later, there’s still no “vision and plan” from Mr O’Byrne because everyone knows the only plan Mr O’Byrne has got is to take his Leader’s job.
After today’s performance, it’s becoming clearer that Ms White is grimly clinging on and is the Leader in name only.
With no long term plan, no costed alternative Budget, and a spiralling leadership crisis, Labor is going absolutely nowhere and has nothing to offer Tasmanians other than criticism, dysfunction and disunity.