Former leader Elizabeth Lee says she and Peter Cain did the right thing. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Rebel Canberra Liberals backbenchers Elizabeth Lee and Peter Cain say they have been suspended from the party room indefinitely after crossing the floor in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (28 October).
But a later statement from Liberal whip Ed Cocks said they had only been suspended until a further party room meeting next week.
“During the meeting, Liberal MLAs considered the motion that: ‘Ms Lee and Mr Cain be suspended pending a meeting to be held the week commencing 3 November’.
“That motion was carried, and Liberal MLAs will meet next week in an attempt to resolve outstanding issues.”
Mr Cocks said the outcome of the party room meeting should have remained confidential.
“Regrettably, information has been released to the media, and it is important to clarify the exact decision so there can be no misunderstanding,” he said.
“I want to make it clear that these are matters for Liberal MLAs and which deserve adequate time to consider and work through. It is important that they be dealt with through our established processes.”
Ms Lee and Mr Cain told a press conference after this morning’s party room meeting that Leader Leanne Castley had not gone back on her statement yesterday suspending them.
They remained defiant about voting with the Greens and crossbench in a bid to stop the Assembly calendar being reduced from 13 weeks to 12.
Ms Lee said it was unacceptable to be suspended for exercising their right as Liberal Party backbenchers to cross the floor.
Peter Cain is unrepentant. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Mr Cain had not expected the suspension to stand after the pair had a chance to plead their case, saying “being surprised is an understatement”.
Both believe that opposing the reduction in sitting weeks and lessening the opportunity to hold the government to account was the right action for an opposition to take.
“When you have a government that has been there for over 20 years, and we have seen failure after failure in almost every portfolio and government service, it is imperative for an opposition to use every opportunity to hold this government to account,” Ms Lee said.
Mr Cain said the focus should be on why the government wants fewer sitting days next year.
“They don’t want the scrutiny and the accountability; they don’t want extra question times,” he said.
“They don’t want opportunities for us to move motions and give speeches.
“The fact that the Labor minority government wanted fewer sitting days, any opposition would have said, ‘Well, that means we should press you for more, and that’s exactly what Elizabeth and I did yesterday’.”
Both said they would continue to sit in the Assembly and remain Liberals, but they would not be returning to the shadow cabinet.
They did not know what the suspension would mean practically for the rest of the sitting week and future weeks.
Asked if there was more to this than simply crossing the floor, Ms Lee said that was something for Ms Castley to answer.
Asked whether the suspensions will hurt the party’s ability to function as an opposition, Mr Cain said that was a question for the leadership – Ms Castley and Jeremy Hanson.
Asked if Ms Castley was the appropriate person to lead the Canberra Liberals, Mr Cain said that was up to the party room.
But if the party room vote was the 7-2 result it was understood to be, the pair look likely to remain on the outer for some time.
Ms Lee and Mr Cain have been at odds with the party leadership ever since the 2024 election loss and Ms Lee’s loss of the leadership.
