The Liberals’ grubby election desperation has reached a shocking new low.

Jeremy Rockliff’s struggling party has been exposed misleadingly weaponising legal opinion to attack a progressive candidate they clearly see as a rival.

The advice being peddled by the Liberals somehow fails to mention the Constitution (State Employees) Act 1944. This act is why candidates running in Tasmanian state elections do not have to resign from public service roles in the same way Federal candidates do. The State Government even publishes information about this to state employees.

Serious questions are now being asked about what information the Liberals gave to Chris Gunson SC, before they breathlessly pushed this advice to the media.

Did they deliberately “forget” to tell Mr Gunson about the advice they publish to State Employees?

Or just like they forgot to build a wharf for the Spirits, are they so incompetent that they just forget to brief him properly?

Whatever the answer, it’s another terrible own goal from a Liberal party that has made incompetence a trademark of its 11 years in government.

The Liberals’ advice has been strongly refuted by former Solicitor-General Michael O’Farrell SC, backing up Labor’s previous advice that Ms Munday is eligible to run in the state election.

Jess Munday is a proven advocate for workers, a strong leader and will make a terrific Member of Parliament.

Jeremy Rockliff must apologise to her for this desperate and grubby attack, led by the conservative Eric Abetz who is clearly threatened by Ms Munday’s candidacy.

Sarah Lovell MLC