Another top SA Liberal resigns from party
One of the SA Liberal Party’s top executives has quit as vice president and last month left the party after being a member for more than 20 years, just ahead of the state election.
Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty resigned as SA Liberal Vice President in December, InDaily can reveal, and quit the party in late February in the midst of state election planning.
Docherty has been a Liberal member since 2002 and was elected as one of four vice presidents of the SA Liberals at the party’s 2024 AGM, saying he want to focus instead on upcoming local government elections on November 11.
He has previously worked as a casual electorate officer for conservative SA federal Liberal Senator Alex Antic.
It follows the resignation of another long-term Liberal Party executive leader, Lachlan Haynes, who quit his federal and state executive roles on December 15.
As reported by InDaily, his resignation followed what was believed to be a surprise lack of support in his bid for the southeast seat of MacKillop, members instead voting to support Robe resident Rebekah Rosser.
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Docherty told InDaily he resigned as Vice President on December 19, just days after Hayne’s resignation. Docherty also resigned from the party on February 21.
The Playford Mayor said that he had pulled out during the pre-selection process for the party’s Legislative Council ticket at the 2026 state election. In September last year, Liberal MLC Nicola Centofanti thanked him for “participating in the process”.
“I want to focus some more time and energy on new professional pursuits, focusing on the upcoming local government elections at the end of this year,” he said.
Docherty said he bore “no ill will to the party”.
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“I wish the party and its membership all the best,” he said.
“I think Ashton Hurn is doing a fantastic job as leader of the opposition.”
Docherty’s resignation means there is a gap on the SA Liberal executive, currently led by Australian Senator Leah Blyth as President.
Docherty said his plans for the remainder of the year were to “be working hard as always in my community of Playford and to re-contest the local government elections in 2026”.
Docherty’s resignation follows a string of high-profile Liberal resignations, including Lachlan Haynes last year. Haynes previously worked in federal Barker member Tony Pasion’s electorate office.
Just last week, Liberal Legislative Council candidate Thea Hennessey dropped off the party’s ticket just under a month out from the March 21 state election.
She was pre-selected in the fourth position and reportedly quit to focus on family challenges.
Hennessy was also previously a SA Liberal Party Vice President in 2023, when she was elected alongside Docherty, Haynes and Ward.
SA Liberal Party state director Alex Hyde said: “We respect the privacy of individual members, but we note these are volunteer roles.”
“All Liberal members and candidates are focused on the state election and highlighting the clear failures of the Malinauskas Labor Government.”
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