Former Liberal Leader David Speirs has returned to Adelaide with an unvarnished critique of the party since he left the top job. He says he's considering his political future after being overlooked for a place in the shadow cabinet of successor, Vincent Tarzia. Returning from holiday the now backbench MP didn't hold back in his assessment of Vincint Tarzia's fledgling leadership nor his party's chances at the next election.
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00:00Back from the highlands of Scotland to the gentle rise of Kingston Park and stepping
00:07straight into the political fray, the former Liberal leader David Spears on home turf and
00:12bearing hard truths about the climb ahead for his replacement, Vincent Tarsier.
00:17I think it's more Mount Everest than Mount Lofty. There's a very significant journey
00:23ahead for Vincent as leader, but there was for me too of course.
00:27It's been less than a month since Mr Spears quit as leader, and while the man who replaced
00:31him says the pair are still friends, it appears the feeling is no longer mutual.
00:36That terms you pretty loosely, isn't it? I get on with Vincent fine.
00:40That may have a lot to do with being overlooked in Mr Tarsier's shadow cabinet, but despite
00:45that Mr Spears says he won't go to the crossbench, but he hasn't decided if he'll contest at
00:51the next election.
00:52Largely because I don't have a shadow ministry, I've reached the top of the party, I've been
00:57a minister for four years, I've been leader for two and a half years. Perhaps it's time
01:02to look at other things.
01:04So for now he's in the Liberal tent, and a little concerned about how things have unfolded
01:08since he stepped down.
01:10Does appear to be a level of shambolicness, not sure if that's a word, but if it is, shambolicness
01:16about what's going on in the Liberal party.
01:18And while it isn't a word, it's not a situation Labor is about to miss out on.
01:23I've got yoghurt in my fridge that will last longer than Vincent Tarsier's leadership.
01:28And it's not necessarily about Vincent, it's about the culture of the Liberal party. They're
01:33broken.
01:34If Tom Koutsantonis wants to be a cut price comedian, that's a matter for him. I think
01:38most South Australians want him to be doing his day job.
01:41For both parties, the path to electoral victory is partly tied to the issue of ramping, and
01:45on that, the Liberals pounced on comments by Rick Morris, the head of the Premier's
01:50delivery unit.
01:51It's not another broken promise. My expectation is that there will be progress in fixing the
01:58ramping crisis, which was the commitment.
02:01Nobody saw a Stobie poll with an election poster on it saying Labor will make progress
02:07towards fixing the ramping crisis, but don't ask us what crisis means.
02:11Progress, promises and party politics on full display.
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