At one point this year, Labor thought it might have a chance of winning the Tasmanian seat of Bass, which is held by the Liberal’s Bridget Archer. Archer seems to be loved by everyone but her own party so it always seemed a bit of a dream, but still, Labor had it on their list.

Jess Teesdale is running there and on an ABC radio interview yesterday said she opposed native forest logging. Which is not Labor policy. Today, she has ‘walked that back’ which is code for ‘she’s been told she messed up and told to fall back into line’.

Greens senator Nick McKim said it’s a lesson in party politics:

After repeatedly overriding his Environment Minister on national environment laws, the Prime Minister is now intervening to crush dissent on forests in Tasmania.” 

Labor is in damage control because they know that opposing native forest logging is supported by a majority of Australians and a majority of Labor members.”

Ms Teesdale is learning that in the Labor Party your personal opinions count for nothing compared to the views of the faceless men and Labor’s donors.”

You toe the line or you get crushed.”

While Liberal senator Jonathan Duniam said the Liberal party is united that native forestry needs to continue and said:

What is concerning is that at the last election, the Prime Minister made a promise to the Tasmanians that he’d protect native forestry. He’s got a candidate who clearly, her personal view is, that it should no longer exist. I just don’t buy that there’s any walk back from the one word answer, which is unequivocal.

Except it is not true – Labor isn’t wavering on native forest logging, no matter how many people connected with the party wish they were.