The planned meeting of the Liberal Party’s Franklin Electorate Committee tonight is a serious test of Jeremy Rockliff’s leadership.

Far-right conservative forces in the Liberal Party have been lining up in recent days to attack the Premier and his right hand man, State President Michael McKenna, who have gone to extraordinary and apparently “illegal” lengths to prevent the meeting being held.

Brendan Blomeley has labelled the Premier’s attack on him and the Franklin Electorate Committee “an amateurish attempt to distract attention” from the disastrous 12 per cent swing suffered by the Liberals at the recent election.

Eric Abetz, sworn in today as one of Jeremy Rockliff’s most senior cabinet ministers, has told members that Mr Blomeley has his “full support”, and reiterated that regrouping after losing 12 per cent of their primary vote should be the Party’s focus.

Will Mr Abetz’s first act as a Minister in Jeremy Rockliff’s government be to openly defy the Premier and his State President by attending the meeting?

Will Mr Rockliff’s first act as the Premier of a minority government, which he campaigned so strongly against, be to roll over to the conservatives?

Make no mistake: if this meeting goes ahead, it is a direct attack on Jeremy Rockliff and his handpicked State President from the Party’s emboldened far-right forces – and it will likely be just the first of many.

Luke Edmunds MLC  
Labor Member for Pembroke