Leader vote set as top Liberals speak out
Opposition Health spokesperson Ashton Hurn and Liberal Deputy Leader Josh Teague have spoken out about Vincent Tarzia’s shock announcement that he is stepping down from the top job today. A date is now set to vote in a new Leader.
Touted new Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn has told InDaily she will speak with colleagues in coming days about a party room vote on Monday morning for the top job after Liberal Leader Vincent Tarzia announced today he was stepping down.
Deputy Leader Josh Teague also told a press conference this afternoon that Tarzia decided to step down “entirely on his own” and to suggest there was any betrayal of Tarzia “is a malicious lie”.
Tarzia this morning announced he was stepping down from the leadership role to focus on his young family and his local community with the change taking effect at 5pm today.
“I want to sincerely thank Vincent for his dedicated service over the past 16 months as our leader,” Hurn said in a statement to InDaily.
“His decision leaves the leadership vacant, and over the coming days I’ll be speaking with my colleagues ahead of a party room meeting.”
Tarzia said the decision to leave the leadership role came after careful reflection between leading the party, serving the people of Hartley, and being present for his wife Charissa along with his young children Leonardo, aged four, and Raphael, five months.
“I look forward to continuing to represent the electorate of Hartley and I wish my party colleagues and supporters all the best,” he said.
The move followed ongoing speculation that party members were pushing for Hurn to take the reins of the Liberal Party.
At a joint press conference last Wednesday, both Hurn and Tarzia rejected any prospect of a change in leadership before the state election in March next year.
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It has been a tumultuous time for the Liberal Leader after he took the party’s top job from former leader David Speirs in August last year, at the time saying it was his opportunity to “refresh” and “refocus”.
At that stage, he beat fellow contender and current Deputy Leader Josh Teague for the job by 18 votes to four at a Liberal party room meeting.
Teague told a press conference this afternoon he would not be standing for the leadership of the party and said he wanted to pay tribute to Tarzia for his service.
“I will be ready to serve the leader that the party elects on Monday morning,” he said, adding that he would continue in his role as Deputy Leader.
“I really want to emphasise that you have heard from Vincent this morning about a decision he has made on his own.
“Any suggestion that there has been a betrayal of Vincent Tarzia, let alone a betrayal by any individual or individuals is a lie, and not only that, it is a malicious lie.”
When Tarzia won the leadership role last year he said it was an “opportunity to refresh, refocus, recalibrate, and make sure we do everything possible to help South Australians”.
However, his leadership has constantly been undermined by leaks and speculation with the latest rumours swirling over the past few weeks, including that Ben Hood would become Deputy Leader.
Teague confirmed again today that this was not feasible as Hood was a member of the Upper House of Parliament.
Tarzia was elected to the South Australian Parliament as the Member for Hartley in 2014 and in 2018.
Hartley incorporates the suburbs of Campbelltown, Dernancourt, Felixstow, Glynde, Hectorville, Paradise, Tranmere and a portion of Magill.
