What are the Liberals waiting for?
Voters in Dunstan deserve certainty on when they will go to the polls, as former Premier Steven Marshall continues to leave them in limbo.
It’s been 10 days since the Member for Dunstan advised the media that he would be resigning from parliament at some stage in the “coming months”.
The rationale for this lack of certainty, he said, was that “it gives the [Liberal] party the chance to preselect the very best candidate to give ourselves the best shot for the election”.
However, the Liberal Opposition preselected its candidate for the eastern suburbs seat, which the party has held since 2010, a week ago – and yet voters are still none the wiser about when Mr Marshall will move on.
Labor candidate Cressida O’Hanlon was preselected unopposed on the day Mr Marshall announced his intention to resign.
The voters of Dunstan know who their candidates are – they just need to know when the vote will take place.
Quotes
Attributable to Tom Koutsantonis
It’s time for the Liberals to end this farce.
Mr Marshall’s stated reason for refusing to resign, or even nominate an exit date, was to give his own party time to preselect a suitable candidate.
But the preselection process was done and dusted a week ago.
What is Mr Marshall waiting for? Parliament is resuming this week, and his constituents deserve to know when they get their say on who will represent them into the future. Mr Marshall should immediately notify the Speaker of his resignation, so that the voters of Dunstan can elect a full-time MP.
David Speirs should tell Mr Marshall that he needs to get a move on.