Tasmanian Liberals gamble on Cheek

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2001
Tasmanian Liberals gamble on Cheek

The Tasmanian Liberal Party has a new leader - self-proclaimed risk-taker BOB CHEEK.

Only five days before Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD leads a team of federal heavyweights
to the party's state conference, Mr CHEEK was today elected unopposed to replace SUE NAPIER.

He becomes, at his third attempt, the party's third leader in just over two years.

Mr CHEEK says the unopposed election of himself and DENISE SWAN as his deputy showed
the party was now united.

The first test of whether there is genuine unity will come next week when Mr CHEEK
unveils his frontbench.

Mrs NAPIER declared all positions vacant in the party room this morning and, reconfirming
that she would not use her casting vote to cling to power, did not renominate.

Mrs NAPIER says she's disappointed and saddened that she had to stand down and she
did so in the hope that the party could work as a team.

AAP RTV dw/jn

KEYWORD: LIBERALS TAS (HOBART)

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