Smitho’s top 10 political moments of 2025 |
From a leader’s demise to letting the cat out of the bag about an old dog’s new trick. As the year rapidly draws to a close and an election looms, columnist Mike Smithson recaps the state politics moments he deems remarkable.
As the year rapidly draws to a close, and an election looms, some remarkable moments have occurred in state politics at a time when relative calm could have been expected.
I’ve compiled 10 events which have left a personal impression on me in 2025.
It’s my subjective view but it will carry me through to 2026, with no guarantee that any of these events won’t be toppled by something more startling.
They’re in no particular order, so please draw your own conclusions.
With the state election in March, the Liberal Party should’ve been consolidating and building on any strength or reputation it has left.
Instead, a handful of mystery MPs plotted the downfall of leader Vincent Tarzia who hadn’t done too much wrong but was never the X-factor to dent the Labor machine.
His successor Ashton Hurn was dealt a near-impossible hand.
She’s been thrown in at the deep end and must quickly pick up the pieces, which she’s attempting to do.
A new taxation reform commission is her major election plank thus far, but such promises confuse average voters who don’t understand or have much interest in the minutiae of broader tax complications.
Soon after Hurn was elected in 2022, I suggested she aim for the party’s deputy leader role, which she didn’t.
Had she done so, her run to the upcoming election would’ve had years of valuable leadership building already under her belt.
As revealed across various media commentary roles, I never rated Speirs as the person to lead the Liberals to an election victory.
His own views about his ability have always clashed with mine.
His drug supply convictions this year and