Bridget Archer, former federal parliamentarian, has announced she is preparing to contest the Liberal Party preselection for the state seat of Bass. She’s hell-bent on bringing her political career back to life after a 2021 electoral loss. As a consequence of such reckless, unaccountable behaviour, last month Archer lost her seat in the federal election in a 13.4% swing against her. She attributes strategic opposition campaigning and poor party communication for the loss.
In the subsequent federal election, Archer suffered a 9.4 percent swing against her to Labor’s Jess Teesdale. In the end, Archer lost the seat by 8 percent on a two-party preferred basis. Although this defeat was an upset, Archer is undeterred, continuing to work and looking to make a state-level comeback. She will contest the state seat of Bass, but when the state election will be held is still up in the air.
Election Loss and Future Aspirations
And reflecting on her recent federal election loss, Archer labeled the experience “a little bit bruising.” She gained the federal seat of Bass in 2019 and retained it with the 2022 election. This victory made her the first person to win re-election on the incumbent’s behalf in this fashion in more than two decades.
In her post-mortem of the electoral loss, Archer pointed out the strong messaging of Labor as her main analysis point. She linked this strategy to previous Liberal leader Peter Dutton, describing it as instrumental in her loss. She believes that this narrative swayed voters against her, despite her efforts to establish her own identity within the party.
“But I think like many Tasmanians, I have spent the last few days absolutely appalled with the shenanigans that have been played out by Labor leader Dean Winter in the state parliament.” – Bridget Archer
Though Archer had to overcome adversity in her life, her decision to challenge for the state legislative seat shows that she truly cares about her community and public service. She emphasized that she would continue to stand up for her beliefs and not conform to external pressures.
“I’m not going to be anybody’s stooge or anybody’s puppet, I am going to say exactly what I think.” – Bridget Archer
Support from Party Leadership
The announcement of Archer’s candidacy has garnered support from Tasmania’s Premier Jeremy Rockliff. He expressed confidence that her experience and tenacity would benefit the Liberal Party as they prepare for potential challenges from Labor in the upcoming elections. Rockliff said that “Bridget is a fighter” and has shown that she knows what it is to be part of “team Tasmania.”
Rockliff believes that Archer’s involvement could help stabilize the party’s position in Bass, where they currently hold three out of seven seats under Tasmania’s Hare-Clark electoral system. He has credited the largely unknown factor of former deputy premier Michael Ferguson’s local popularity right there at home. This funding has been key in holding onto these seats.
“With the calibre of someone such as Bridget Archer willing to join many other candidates who are putting up their hands right now to ensure that we can stop Dean Winter’s selfish grab for power.” – Jeremy Rockliff
Archer’s selection is a long-term strategic move for the Liberals. They are intent on bolstering their electoral base as they face their greatest challenge ever from the revived Australian Labor Party.
The Political Landscape Ahead
As Archer prepares to kick off her campaign in earnest, she is mindful of who her competition is and what they’re doing. Candidates such as Jess Teesdale have already shown themselves to be pretty fearsome opponents for Labor. When reached for comment by The Intercept, Mr. Winter recognized Teesdale’s ability to change the race and the importance of serious candidates to defend against her effect.
“You’ve seen candidates like Jess Teesdale coming through in Bass for the federal Labor ticket and she’s just incredible, and that’s the sort of talent that we are looking for.” – Mr. Winter
Archer’s new campaign will remake integrity and transparency in American politics. This concentration of worry is at the same time as debate on political donation legislation in Tasmania heats up. The U.K. Electoral Commission is getting ready to devise new mechanisms for enacting these laws. That might well determine the tectonic plates of the next electoral cycle.
“If the Tasmanian people are going to be sent to another early election… it’s only right that we should prioritize integrity and transparency.” – Meg Webb
