A leaked letter has revealed that former Labor Party leader David O’Byrne was rejected as a candidate for the seat of Franklin after the current leader excluded him from her list of preferred candidates.
The letter, written by Rebecca White and leaked to the Sunday Tasmanian, shows that the special branch committee was divided on whether O’Byrne should be endorsed for the 2025 state election.
White submitted a list of candidates she wished to endorse for Franklin, including Ebony Altimira, Simon Bailey, Megan Brown, Kaspar Deane, Phil Pregnall, Toby Thorpe and Dean Winter.
All these candidates received endorsements from the national executive and were officially announced on December 1.
O’Byrne has not been an official member of the Labor Party since 2021 and currently holds a position on the cross bench.
He stepped down as leader in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment toward a junior union employee more than a decade ago, with the party finding that his behaviour did not constitute sexual harassment.
In a statement shortly after the preselection announcement, O’Byrne said being left off of the list for the southern seat was “devastating news”.
“I have been a loyal Labor supporter for my entire life and member for close to 30 years,” he said.
“I have never presented myself as the perfect person. I have made mistakes and I have owned them, but I have never given up and walked away from the work to which I am deeply committed.”
