Congratulations are due to Senators Pocock and Lambie, ably advised by first responder victim, former Detective Sergeant Jason Taylor [a Belco Party candidate], in ensuring that the rights of first responders (police, ambos, and fire fighters) to quicker proper compensation for injuries received on the job that led to PTSD, etc., were covered in the new split federal workplaces bill. 

I resigned in September 2008 from the ACT Liberal Party, prior to taking up my new role as Appeal President of ACAT, having been a member since 1984. I agree with John Howard when he said the Liberal party is meant to be a broad church and performs best when the two strains of classic Liberal values and conservative values work in tandem. In recent times, the Liberal party has become more factionalised in a way not dissimilar to, but not as efficient as, the ALP.

Liberal leader Elizabeth Lee last week removed Jeremy Hanson as her deputy. The up-and-coming, talented Leanne Castley became deputy. The vote was apparently five to three. Several days later, Elizabeth announced her shadow cabinet, and Jeremy Hanson and Elizabeth Kikkert were left out.

I don’t profess to know what occurs in the party these days, but having been very much involved over the years in various internal party upheavals, I have views. 

The left faction seems to now have the upper hand with Zed’s departure to NSW and with longstanding president John Cziesla being replaced as President by an empty chair. (The quirky side of me quite likes that idea.) But the party can’t afford the luxury of one side dominating. The two Liberal governments Canberra had (Third and Fourth Assemblies) were a mix of left and right. It worked. I was more right (as were speaker Greg Cornwell and Tony De Domenico), and my colleagues Kate Carnell, Gary Humphries, and Brendan Smyth were more left, but we didn’t really have factions in those days. 

Lt Colonel Jeremy Hanson CSC was elected to the Assembly in 2008 upon leaving the Army. The then Chief of Defence Angus Houston told me: “Our loss is your gain.” I would agree with Angus. Jeremy quickly established himself as a bright, hard-working MLA who was not afraid to mix it with the ALP and Greens. 

In 2016, as losing Opposition leader, he got 11,224 votes in his electorate (Murrumbidgee) – 22.42 per cent of the vote. By comparison, poor old Alistair Coe polled 16.3 per cent in 2020, and Zed got about 18.5 per cent in 2008. In 2020, when he was neither leader nor deputy, Jeremy got 8,209 votes (15.3 per cent).

I can understand why Elizabeth changed deputies. (Not that I would necessarily agree with her.) But to take away Jeremy’s portfolio responsibilities is not a good idea, especially when he was scoring lots of runs against this tired, lacklustre government. In the history of the Assembly, it’s rare for all members not to have some specific responsibilities – and in my view, not a good look. Time will tell, but the ACT Liberals need Jeremy Hanson, and if they form a government in October 2024, he should, in my view, be a senior minister. 

Editor’s note: Bill Stefaniak is founder of the Belco Party.