Australian State Labor To Again Mull Leadership Options

HOBART, Australia — For the second time in six weeks, the Australian state of Tasmania’s Labor opposition will consider their options for a leader.

The Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch), commonly known as Tasmanian Labor, is the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party. It has been one of the most successful state Labor parties in Australia in terms of electoral success.

The state party held a caucus meeting on July 7 after David O’Byrne recently announced his intention to resign from the role in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

David O’Byrne is an Australian trade unionist and politician. A prominent union leader prior to entering politics and the brother of fellow politician Michelle O’Byrne, he has been a Labor Party member

O’Byrne, who was elected leader on June 15, has been accused of sending inappropriate messages to, and kissing, a junior female employee of a union he worked for more than a decade ago. He has admitted to the conduct, saying he thought it was consensual at the time but now understands it was not.

O’Byrne announced on July 4 that he would stand down as leader but remain in parliament. The Labor party is investigating the woman’s complaint.

Labor’s members of parliament will be able to nominate for the vacant leadership position at the meeting. If more than one person puts their hand up it will head to a ballot.

Former leader Rebecca White, who stood down from the position after the party’s third straight election loss on May 1, has not publicly ruled out running. Rebecca Peta White is an Australian politician, who served as the Leader of the Opposition in Tasmania and Leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party in Tasmania from March 2017 until May 2021, and again from July 2021.

Acting leader and deputy Anita Dow has told media she is “considering her options”. Anita Joy Dow is an Australian politician and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the Labor Party in the Division of Braddon at the 2018 state election. She was Mayor of Burnie from 2014 until 2017, and previously worked as a registered nurse.

Braddon’s member of parliament Shane Broad, who was pipped by O’Byrne at the most recent leadership ballot which opened in late May, could again put his name forward. Shane Thomas Broad is an Australian politician; a five-time national champion and Australian representative rower; and an agricultural scientist.

(Edited by Vaibhav Pawar and Ritaban Misra)