Vincent Tarzia has resigned as South Australia’s Liberal leader, just over a year after replacing disgraced MP David Speirs.
Tarzia was elected leader in August 2024 and has for weeks speculated that the party was pushing for opposition health spokesman Ashton Hurn to take over ahead of the March state election.
Tarzia is the third state liberal to lose the leadership in as many weeks.
On Friday, Tarzia said no colleagues had forced him to resign, but “there is a reason why they say this is the worst job in politics.”
“It was a very challenging and demanding role,” Tarzia said, noting he had children aged four years and five months.
In June, a YouGov poll showed South Australian Prime Minister and Labor leader Peter Malinauskas leading Tarzia as preferred prime minister by a margin of 58 points, from 72 percent to 14 percent.
YouGov public data director Paul Smith said at the time that Labor was on course for the biggest victory in South Australia’s electoral history.
“A uniform increase of 12.4 percent would see 11 of the 13 Liberal MPs lose their seats, including Vincent Tarzia, leaving the Liberals with just two MPs in Parliament,” he said.
Speirs resigned as SA Liberal leader in August 2024, saying he was tired of speculation about his leadership. He was later charged with supplying drugs and pleaded guilty in March.
Tarzia said he had only decided to resign on Friday morning and that he was “not bitter at all”.
“Although it was a sad moment to give up this role, I am very calm and want to make sure I help and support the next leader of the Liberal Party in the future.
“I look forward to continuing to represent the electorate of Hartley and I wish my party colleagues and supporters all the best.”
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