David Speirs Tipped To Announce Political Comeback

Advertiser Editor-at-large Paul Starick joins Graeme Goodings on FIVEAA.

Listen live on the FIVEAA Player.

Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Subscribe on YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're talking about the former opposition leader and convicted cocaine
supplier of David Spears, apparently considering a political comeback, eyeing
his old seat of black he would be coming back
as an independent. Well. The story was broken by none
other than TiSER editor at large Paul Starrick. He joins me, now, Paul,
good morning to you, gom here going good. Thanks? Could
this be so? Could he rise like Lazarus from the ashes?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
I think he will. I am personally if I was
a betting man than I am. I think that what
he's doing is understandably trying to rehabilitate himself and to
a degree his image. By the Coakoda track walk. He's
apparently raised at their deal of money for that, which
is an extremely good cause. He's raising mon money for

(00:45):
men's mental health in particular. He's doing a co Coda
track walk August twenty second to thirty one. Got a
fundraising event this Thursday. I think it is. But the
sort of lit thing. Liberal and the people that I've
spoken to both expect that he'll stand and the sequence

(01:06):
of events that they expect is that he'll come back
from the Kakoda walk and announced some time after that
to be fair to mister Spears and setting aside his
conviction if indeed it is possible to do so. He
was an extremely effective considered to be an extremely effective

(01:28):
local member. Both major parties acknowledged that and they he
was also had some achievements as Environment Minister in the
Marshall government, opening up reservoirs the youth, establishing the glen
Thorne I'm not sure the title glen Thorne part in
the Inner South, so he's I spoke to him this

(01:52):
day and he said that this albul bloom worries him
a lot. That was what passion for conservation initially got
in into public life. So the sequence of events seems
to follow.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
If you ask me, do you think the government and
the Libs seem as a real contender?

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, I do. I think that particularly Labor would be
concerned about the seat that they won the seat unexpectedly.
Last then Alex died in a former Sacred Heart senior teacher.
I think his deputy principal won that seat for Labor

(02:33):
and won it pretty easily. But I suspected to be
one that the Liberals would be would have been hopeful
of getting back. But mister Speers's possible entry would complicate
it to the split of the vote. If he finished second,
he'd be likely to get in on preferences, and he

(02:57):
may be bullish. He may be thinking, well, you know,
I've got a good prop while hearing some of the
messages you were reading out before. That was a noticeable
trend when he was when people were doing box pops
around the time of all the scandal that he did
seem to be rated quite highly within his community as

(03:17):
a local member.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
No, he's a convicted cocaine dealer. It's a pretty serious offense.
Do you think the electric are taking that too lately?

Speaker 2 (03:27):
I guess that's up to the Electra. But to me,
it's a fairly hard road to come back from, you know.
And I guess that depends on your view about such things.
But like you say, it's a fairly serious offense. Maybe
people are prepared to look the other way. I personally
would struggle with that. I think that the you know,

(03:53):
it goes to characters and you probably don't want convicted
coastcine suppliers representing you in parliament. But you know, the
electorate always gets it right. As many people with bigger
political brains than me have always.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Said, and what about his eligibility though, I mean, there
are rules and regulations. I would suggest that before you
run for Parliament you've got to fulfill them or not
have breached them.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Certainly raises questions. I spoke with Mick Sherry, the state
electoral Commissioner yesterday. He pointed out these various legislative requirements
that candidate that's obliged to meet. It would appear that
there's certainly a strong question over whether those bar from

(04:44):
candidacy anyone convicted quite of an indictable offense. But then
others that I spoke to suggested that if you've done
the crime, served the time, then you may well be
open to standing. I'd imagine, and I've said in the article,
quite likely that mister Sherry would have to seek Crown

(05:06):
Law advice on something this significant to be sure of
whatever ruling ultimately he makes. Should mister Spears choose to
contest the next election of an independent in black Well, I.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Guess we'll soon find out what the situation is. Paul,
great to chat, Thanks for your time today.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Oh thank you, Graham.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Paul Starek, the Advertiser Editor at large,