Sojourner wrote:Isobel Redman seems to have been making some odd statements at the moment such as discussing the potential capacity of Alexander Downer to be the leader of the party and the invite to the senate and so on. I do wonder if she is not planning an exit from politics altogether at the next election? Could it be that others in the party are a little concerned also and are trying to find a way to move her on and to try and make it as soft a landing as possible?
My impression from talking to her at party functions is that she intended to complete the initial term as Premier, then review her aims. I don't think she ever wanted to make it a long term career (of self-aggrandisement) like Mike Rann did.
OPPOSITION Leader Isobel Redmond predicts she will win by a single vote in tomorrow's Liberal leadership showdown and is pointing to her strong poll lead as evidence she should keep the job.
In an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, Ms Redmond also launched a stinging attack on her rival, Opposition health spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith.
Senior Liberal sources say Mr Hamilton-Smith has 12 solid votes in the 25-person party room and Ms Redmond may have as few as five rusted-on supporters.
Ms Redmond said that Mr Hamilton-Smith was the only Liberal in history to have challenged three times for the leadership and claimed his personal ambition was damaging the party and state.
She also revealed details of internal deliberations in which she claims Mr Hamilton-Smith advocated the Liberals not agree to the Olympic Dam expansion.
Ms Redmond pledged to move to the back bench and not destabilise the party if she lost tomorrow's vote.
Martin Hamilton-Smith at an Ahmadiyya Muslim Association function at Unley Town Hall yesterday. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson
She said she had spent the past two days "mostly on the phone" contacting Liberal figures and wavering MPs.
She did not contradict claims that Mr Hamilton-Smith had 12 votes.
"That leaves me with 13 and that means I'm in a winning position," Ms Redmond said.
Ms Redmond denied a single-vote win would leave her leadership mortally wounded.
"I don't think it sends that message," she said. "I think the fact is that people just want it all settled and whatever the settlement is, I think most people will live with that and will be prepared to get on with working as a team. There's been a lot of agitation and so it obviously, I hope, will settle down after that."
THE deep divisions within the Liberal Party have been further exposed with leadership challenger Martin Hamilton-Smith's secret plan for his first 100 days leaked to adelaidenow by a colleague.
"The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment" – Warren Bennis
At least MHS has a plan which is very different to the muppets in power now, including more embarrassing backflips on funding St Johns and Breastfeeding Association.
Redmond beats MHS 13 votes to 12 and Steven Marshall replaces Mitch Williams as deputy leader!
Party unity, eh?
"The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment" – Warren Bennis
Gozu wrote:Redmond beats MHS 13 votes to 12 and Steven Marshall replaces Mitch Williams as deputy leader!
Party unity, eh?
At least its democratic unlike the labor party where some union official holds all the power and can walk in and tap a Premier on the shoulder. And then we get all the really great ministers because they went to the right union even though half of them have trouble stringing a sentence together.
This is the worst possible result for the Libs ... it's nowhere near over yet.
I was walking down the mall at 10:40am and didn't know the result, but then saw MHS walking towards me with his wife in hand with a pissed off look so I knew he had lost the ballot.
Steven Marshall will be a loyal deputy ... oh, hang on
Southee, supposedly Redmond & Weatherill have been close friends for years, might've worked at the same law firm together before entering politics?
I don't know about since they became leaders of their respective parties but before that they used to catch up for a weekly drink.
"The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment" – Warren Bennis
"The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment" – Warren Bennis
