Rebecca White must force Broad to publicly and unreservedly apologise

Jane Howlett, Liberal Member for Prosser

Dr Broad’s unhinged, late-night tirade in the Parliament last week has sparked backlash from Tasmanians demanding a public apology.

Liberal Member for Prosser, Jane Howlett has called on Tasmanian Labor Leader, Rebecca White, to force Dr Broad to publicly and unreservedly apologise for his offensive, insulting comments directed at the more than 22,700 supporters of the Yes AFL Team, Yes Stadium group.

He disparagingly referred to members of the Yes AFL Team, Yes Stadium group as “predominately middle-aged males, very passionate about a subject” who “do not really care about details, they do not care about what other people are expressing as opinions…They get so wound up in this echo chamber they can do crazy stuff”.

He then went on to say “..all you need is somebody who has just got a little bit of a crazy bent, to go and do something stupid.”

“Tasmanians will not accept this type of attitude towards them,” Ms Howlett said.

“Despite the public outcry from those smeared by this unfair categorisation, all Dr Broad has been able to muster up is an admission that he could’ve chosen better words.”

In the same tirade, Dr Broad was also forced to withdraw his disgusting comments directed at Liberal Minister Madeleine Ogilvie, labelling her an ‘idiot’.

Responding to Minister Ogilvie in the chamber, Dr Broad said, “you cannot argue with idiots because then you get down to their level.”

Ms Howlett questioned whether Rebecca White endorsed Dr Broad’s use of language demeaning a female Minister in this way.

“Is Rebecca White willing to accept this behaviour from one Labor colleague – but enforces different standards on others?” she said.

“What does this say about Labor’s view of women?

“It’s clear that Dr Broad has lost his way in the midst of the troubled environment that is the toxic, divided Tasmanian Labor Party.

“Dr Broad’s conduct in Parliament was unbefitting of an elected representative and he should be made to front up and apologise to those he has insulted.

“We know that Labor resort to targeting Ministers with personal smears and insults because they don’t have anything else to offer Tasmanians – no vision, no plans and no policies.

“Will Rebecca White show leadership and force Dr Broad to publicly and unreservedly apologise to the Tasmanians he has insulted?”

/Public Release. View in full here.