Labor falling apart at the seams: Statement from Will Hodgman

• Allison Ritchie had to go before estimates hearings starting tomorrow
• David Bartlett has spent the week defending the indefensible
• His own report drew attention to these problems last year

Allison Ritchie’s resignation was inevitable, but it only highlights the extent to which standards in government have eroded under Labor and specifically under David Bartlett.

The Premier promoted Ms Ritchie not once, but twice – first to be a Minister last September and earlier this month to a job created especially for her, in the knowledge of her bizarre family employment record.

David Bartlett also sanctioned Allison Ritchie retaining extra staff to which she was not entitled, and the taxpayer picked up the bill.

Allison Ritchie had to go, in an attempt to limit the damage that was being done to the government and with estimates hearings starting tomorrow.

This Premier has allowed nepotism to run rife. At least three members of his Caucus have employed direct family members, and Ms Ritchie made an art form of it, employing four. That is why her position became untenable.

But instead of coming clean with the Tasmanian people, we have had a week of the government further disintegrating as probing in each House of Parliament has gradually uncovered the unpleasant truth.

The buck stops with David Bartlett.

The Oceana Report produced for the government last December, and obtained under Freedom of Information laws by the State Opposition, made 65 recommendations about ways to improve the way Labor recruits ministerial and other staff.

And David Bartlett has refused the major one, which is that a statutory and objective structure be set up to govern recruitment, salaries, dismissal and training of political staff.

The Government has had five ministers or parliamentary secretaries resign or be sacked since the last State election – and one of them has resigned twice.

The parade has been Paul Lennon as Premier, Bryan Green as Deputy Premier, Steve Kons as Deputy Premier, Paula Wriedt, sacked, and Allison Ritchie, both as a Minister and now as a Parliamentary Secretary

David Bartlett’s handling of this whole issue has been directed by trying to limit political damage. He has shown a complete lack of leadership and the standards that Tasmanians have the right to expect from their government.