Latest news with #resignation
ABC News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Leanne Castley says no formal staff complaints raised as Peter Cain resigns from Canberra Liberals shadow cabinet
ACT Opposition Leader Leanne Castley says MLA Peter Cain's resignation from her shadow cabinet was unexpected and that no formal complaints have been lodged by staff in her team. Mr Cain resigned from the frontbench yesterday, citing concerns about the direction of the leadership team and decision-making processes. "This decision follows ongoing concerns regarding the direction of the current leadership team and the processes through which key decisions have been made," he said. In the statement, Mr Cain implied there were workplace culture problems within the party. "I also have a duty of care to my hardworking staff, who deserve to work in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment," the statement said. Ms Castley, however, told ABC Canberra this morning she is disappointed Mr Cain did not come to her earlier with his concerns. When asked what she had known about Mr Cain's reasons for stepping down, Ms Castley said: "I know as much as you do". She said he spoke to her in her office on Thursday morning before issuing his statement. "So that's what happened and I respect his choice and decision. "We'd had no conversation [about his concerns previously]." She said when she took over the leadership in the wake of the 2024 ACT election, replacing Elizabeth Lee, she had "made a commitment to always have an open door". "I don't stand for gossip and I'm really keen to chat with anyone who has a problem," she said. "So always, and will remain so, my door is open for Peter any time he wants to come and have a chat with me and, yeah, that won't change." Ms Castley said she believed "communication is key". "There are definite changes … as I say, I have a completely open door policy in the assembly … but we can't do the same thing we've always done and expect a different result," she said. "So, we're getting some great wins in the chamber and I know that the team are really excited by that. Ms Castley was adamant she had a cohesive team, despite Mr Cain's move to the backbench. "Our goal is to win government in 2028. "Whether everyone is wanting to take a portfolio at this time, or wanting to take a bit of time to pause and reflect, that's OK as well." Asked about information from Liberal sources who had revealed the situation had been developing and that Mr Cain had voiced concerns previously, Ms Castley said she had not been privy to that. She said he had not raised concerns with her "about decisions the leadership team are making". She added that when she asked Mr Cain why he was resigning, he said: "We'll discuss that at another time". Ms Castley also agreed with Mr Cain's comments about a "duty of care" for staff and said no formal complaints had been lodged within their team. "We have an amazing HR team in the assembly, any question you have for them, they're always open and very good at that two-way communication as well, so I would encourage all of our staff to make sure they're taking care of themself," she said. "It's a tough job when your boss is constantly getting slammed for one thing or another." Asked if any informal complaints had been made, she said: "I think every office is having informal discussions about the way staff are being treated". Yesterday, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr described Mr Cain's resignation from the shadow cabinet as a "reflection of deep divisions within the Canberra Liberals on key policy issues". "His comments regarding the safety of his staff are particularly concerning," Mr Barr said in a statement. "One thing is clear: the Canberra Liberals remain deeply conservative, increasingly out of touch, and more divided than ever." But today Ms Castley said she was confident she was the right person to lead the Canberra Liberals. "Absolutely, I think we're stronger than we have been," she stated. "Knowing that we're coming into budget week strong, ready for questions, ready to understand what this budget is about."
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Thai prime minister's leaked phone call with Cambodia's Hun Sen sparks outrage and political turmoil
Thailan d's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced growing calls for her resignation in a deepening political crisis set off by a leaked recording of her negotiating with Cambodia 's former leader in the two nations' latest border dispute. Paetongtarn apologized to the public on Thursday, after a major coalition partner used the leaked phone call to pull out of the fragile government led by her Pheu Thai Party. Paetongtarn has already been criticized for a perceived soft stance toward Cambodia, especially by right-wing nationalists who are longtime foes of her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The latest border dispute involved an armed confrontation May 28 in a relatively small no-man'- land both countries claim in which one Cambodian soldier was killed. Outrage over the leak Cambodia's Senate President Hun Sen posted the full, 17-minute phone call on his Facebook page after a shorter version was leaked Wednesday. He said he recorded the conversation 'to avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation in official matters,' adding that he shared the recording with at least 80 people. In the recording, Paetongtarn was heard calling Hun Sen 'uncle' as they discussed through translators whether they should lift border restrictions imposed after the deadly clash. Backlash revolved around her calling a Thai army commander in charge of the border area where the clash happened as 'an opponent.' Critics said she was trying to please Hun Sen too much and made Thailand look weak. Paetongtarn said her comments were a negotiation tactic and that her goal was to bring peace between the countries. However, she said she would no longer engage in a private talk with Hun Sen as she could not trust him. 'It's now clear that all that he cares about is his popularity in the country, without considering impacts on relations with other countries,' she said. Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it submitted a protest letter over the leaked recording with the Cambodian ambassador, saying that Cambodia's actions were unacceptable and 'a breach of diplomatic etiquette, a serious violation of trust, and undermines conduct between two neighboring countries.' Paetongtarn has described the two families as having close, longtime relationships. Her father Thaksin and Hun Sen reportedly regard each other as 'godbrothers.' In 2009, Hun Sen appointed Thaksin as a Cambodian government adviser, but Thaksin soon resigned the position. Mounting pressure Hours after the leak, the Bhumjaithai party, the biggest partner in Paetongtarn's ruling coalition, said it would quit because of the leaked phone call. The party's statement said the recording 'posed an impact on Thailand's sovereignty, territory, interests and the army.' The party called for Paetongtarn to take responsibility for the damage, although they did not say how. There has already been a rift between Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai over reports that the former would be shuffled out of the powerful Interior Ministry. Several Bhumjaithai leaders are also under investigation over the alleged rigging of the Senate election in which many figures who are reportedly close to the party claimed a majority of seats. The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house. Opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut of the People's Party on Thursday called for Paetongtarn to dissolve Parliament and hold a new election. He said the leaked phone call was 'the last straw' that destroyed people's faith in her administration. Dozens of nationalists protesters gathered near the Government House on Thursday, holding Thai national flags and signs calling for Paetongtarn to resign. Some senators said they will file a motion to impeach her, and several other individuals also filed complaints over the matter to law enforcement agencies. People have also expressed concern that Paetongtarn's comment towards the local army commander could potentially lead to a military coup. Her father, Thaksin, was ousted in a coup in 2006, and Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, became prime minister in 2011 and was also toppled by the military in 2014. The military said in a statement Thursday that it would like the people to 'maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army's steadfast commitment to constitutional monarchy and its readiness to execute its constitutional mandate of protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms."
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Canberra Liberals on Peter Cain's resignation from shadow cabinet
Canberra Liberals MLA Peter Cain's resignation from shadow cabinet came as a surprise to other party frontbenchers.
E&E News
a day ago
- Business
- E&E News
More EPA employees take deferred resignation offer
EPA staff departures continue to mount as more of the agency's employees are approved to join President Donald Trump's mass resignation scheme. So far, 1,422 EPA employees have signed the agreement for the second round of the deferred resignation program and early retirement option, according to figures provided by the agency Wednesday. That is nearly 90 more employees than what POLITICO's E&E News reported last week. The exodus will take a sizable chunk out of EPA's staff, which has already seen hundreds of probationary and environmental justice employees pushed out and could climb even higher in the weeks ahead. Advertisement 'The agency is continuing to review applications,' said EPA spokesperson Carolyn Holran. She noted employees over 40 years old still have 45 days to go over the agreement before they sign.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Thai PM faces growing calls to quit in Cambodia phone row
Paetongtarn Shinawatra came to power in August at the head of an uneasy coalition. (AP pic) BANGKOK : Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra faced mounting calls to resign today after a leaked phone call she had with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen provoked widespread anger and a key coalition partner to quit. The coalition government led by Shinawatra's Pheu Thai party is on the brink of collapse, throwing the kingdom into a fresh round of political instability as it seeks to boost its spluttering economy and avoid US President Donald Trump's swingeing trade tariffs. The conservative Bhumjaithai party, Pheu Thai's biggest partner, pulled out yesterday saying Paetongtarn's conduct in the leaked call had wounded the country and the army's dignity. Losing Bhumjaithai's 69 MPs leaves Paetongtarn with barely enough votes to scrape a majority in parliament, and a snap election looks a clear possibility – barely two years after the last one in May 2023. Two coalition parties, the United Thai Nation and Democrat Party, will hold urgent meetings to discuss the situation later today. Losing either would likely mean the end of Paetongtarn's government and either an election or a bid by other parties to stitch together a new coalition. Resignation calls The Palang Pracharath party, which led the government up to 2023 and is headed by General Prawit Wongsuwan – who supported a coup against Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck – called for the premier to resign. The party's statement said the leaked recording showed Paetongtarn was weak and inexperienced, and incapable of managing the country's security. 'This already has proved that Thailand has a leader who will lead the country to a bad situation and weakness,' the statement said. Another opposition party, Thai Sang Thai, also called for Paethongtarn to step down, saying her conversation with Hun Sen had damaged the kingdom's sovereignty and the army. In the leaked phone call, Paetongtarn is heard discussing an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen – who stepped down as Cambodian prime minister in 2023 after four decades but still wields considerable influence. She addresses the veteran leader as 'uncle' and refers to the Thai army commander in the country's northeast as her opponent, a remark that sparked fierce criticism on social media, particularly on Pheu Thai's page and the Royal Thai Army's page. Thailand's armed forces have long played a powerful role in the kingdom's politics, and politicians are usually careful not to antagonise them. The kingdom has had a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, and the current crisis has inevitably triggered rumours that another may be in the offing. If she is ousted she would be the third member of her family, after her aunt Yingluck and father Thaksin Shinawatra, to be kicked out of office by the army. Awkward coalition Paetongtarn, 38, came to power in August 2024 at the head of an uneasy coalition between Pheu Thai and a group of conservative, pro-military parties whose members have spent much of the last 20 years battling against her father. Growing tensions within the coalition erupted into open warfare in the past week as Pheu Thai tried to take the interior minister job away from Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul. The loss of Bhumjaithai leaves Pheu Thai's coalition with just a handful more votes than the 248 needed for a majority. The battle between the conservative pro-royal establishment and Thaksin's political movement has dominated Thai politics for more than 20 years. Former Manchester City owner Thaksin, 75, still enjoys huge support from the rural base whose lives he transformed with populist policies in the early 2000s. But he is despised by Thailand's powerful elites, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilising. Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023 as Pheu Thai took power after 15 years in self-exile overseas. The current Pheu Thai-led government has already lost one prime minister, former businessman Srettha Thavisin, who was kicked out by a court order last year, bringing Paetongtarn to office.
