Tasmanian Labor was desperate for a resignation on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bastian Seidel was not the man expected to give it; and his departure - together with a blunt diagnosis of the party's problems - was far from wanted.
The Member for Huon said he "can't work in a toxic environment", since, unlike others, he doesn't enjoy political infighting.
They are not exactly words to recommend Labor, but there can't be much argument.
This is a party that was bitterly split in the early days of the recent state election campaign over the dominant left faction's obstinate refusal to endorse a candidate who later topped the poll for Labor in Franklin.
The left may have been happy with itself in having its darling in David O'Byrne installed as leader after that disastrous defeat but the divisions are now worse than ever.
Resigning the leadership over sexual harassment allegations, Mr O'Byrne is hanging on to what little remains of his political career.
Returned leader Rebecca White wanted him gone from parliament and former Labor luminaries joined the chorus.
Yet perhaps concerned about his chances of finding meaningful employment elsewhere, Mr O'Byrne has dug his heels in.
While acknowledging "the situation has now become untenable", he has only resigned from the Parliamentary Labor Caucus - a party within a party.
He says he will remain in parliament as a Labor Member for Franklin; Ms White says he will be a Member for Franklin.
A big question - and test of the latter's leadership - is whether the party will tolerate his stance or expel him, ending the fiction that he is still a Labor Member.
This has now gone way beyond the complaint that put Mr O'Byrne at odds with his colleagues, but on that score he and his supporters are still wrong.
Making much of the credentials of the lawyer whose investigation supposedly cleared him does not take away from his statement when he stood down.
Mr O'Byrne became a liability for the Labor Party and rather than fall on his sword he's put himself first.
The Liberals must be enjoying the show.
What do you think? You can have your say by sending us a Letter to the Editor using the form below.