Reluctant Premier Tom Marshall said some interesting things in what appears to be his retirement interview with the Western Star.
Like running for office in 2011 wasn’t what he planned. It was what happened after some unnamed person or people asked him to stay around a while longer. He was set to go before the last election as SRBP told you back then. He only stuck around as party of inside deal worked out by the Conservatives that including keeping Kathy Dunderdale as figurehead leader.
Just like sticking around these past few months wasn’t in his plans either. In fact, when Bill Barry packed it in, Marshall was ready to go at that moment. He hung around because that’s what Frank Coleman wanted, presumably just like Marshall later fired all his own staff in a miserable way one Friday afternoon because that’s what Frank and his people wanted.
And when it comes to leaving office this time, Marshall won’t be going anywhere until the next leader of the party tells him what to do. The always sharp labradore already pointed out that Tom is a little mixed up on how that works. Marshall told the Western Star that he will resign “when the next premier chooses to call a byelection.” Of course, there can’t be a by-election until Tom resigns so what Tom said doesn’t make sense.
But just look at what he said. He’ll resign when the next Premier calls a by-election. But…
If either Steve Kent or Paul Davis win the leadership, then the Premier won’t need to call a by-election. They already have seats in the legislature, Tom can stay in his seat as a backbencher unless there’s some reason to get someone in Tom’s place in a hurry.
Maybe Tom was just saying that he’ll be going regardless of who wins and his successor will have to call a by-election to replace him as a member of the House of Assembly.
Or maybe Tom was having a slip of the Freudian kind.
In the context of the interview, Tom was talking about when he’d hand over to the next Premier, not just when he’d leave as the member of Humber East.
Premier calling a by-election.
The only one of the three candidates who would need Tom’s seat would be John Ottenheimer. Maybe Tom was giving us a clue to who he knows will win the leadership. Freudian slips can be fun. We’ll know in a few weeks if this was one.
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