The ABC is reporting that Jacqui Burke is the new deputy leader of the ACT Liberals, replacing Richard Mulcahy.
Mr Mulcahy called a press conference this afternoon to announce Bill Stefaniak has chosen to replace him as deputy leader.
He says he was given no reasons for the decision and has refused to offer his own thoughts on why he has been pushed aside, other than to say former leader Brendan Smyth helped Mr Stefaniak make the decision.
Interestingly, 2CC were reading from a Liberal Party press release which said that Bill Stefaniak had opened all positions (including his own) for election, Bill was pleased to be reappointed by the party, and he thinks the party has its best and most experienced lineup. I seem to recall him saying something similar in an interview with Mike Welsh.
I suppose the conflicting stories back up this line from the ABC article
It is the latest issue to hit the Liberal Party, which has been racked by infighting for months.
[ED – One wonders if this was anything to do with the brewing hotels association scandal]
UPDATED: The Canberra Times has finally got into gear. It seems Mulcahy is considering throwing in the towel and getting out of politics, meanwhile Zed and Vicki are reported to have walked out of the meeting in outrage at their leader’s dumping. Brendan Smyth has been promoted back into the leadership team, taking up the whip. Bill thinks that if they all play nice Canberran’s will flock to his Southern Cross Club orientated policies, the RiotACT begs to differ. Aside from Vicki Dunne it seems there’s been a counter-revolution by the tired old hacks of the Liberal Party against the newer blood of Zed Seselja and Richard Mulcahy. Heads seem certain to roll inside the party organisation as well.