Tension within Tasmanian Labor Party worsens after party heavyweight takes leader to task on president's ousting

In an extraordinary move by the national executive, party rules were changed so it could dislodge Mr McGregor from the position.

The executive also moved to defer this month's state conference until after the election to prioritise work on the next federal election.

The moves to sack Mr McGregor and delay the conference were labelled a ruse by Labor heavyweight and health union boss Tim Jacobson on Wednesday.

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Mr McGregor was stood down as a state election candidate in April soon after a complaint had been received by the party's executive about inappropriate text messages he had sent to a colleague seven years ago.

He then threatened legal action against Ms White after she told media that he was not a fit person to stand for election.

Last month, Mr McGregor said he had been cleared of wrongdoing after an internal investigation following the complaint.

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Party secretary Stuart Benson, however, said the complainant had instead decided not to be involved in any investigation and her complaint was unable to be investigated as it did not fall within the party's policies.

He said Mr McGregor should stand down from his position of president as his desire to continue to pursue legal action against the party's leadership presented them with an untenable working relationship.

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Mr Benson said the parliamentary arm of the Labor Party had passed a no-confidence motion in Mr McGregor.

Ms White on Wednesday said the difficulties Labor had experienced since the May state election was a result of ongoing culture change within the party.

"Culture change is hard and it can take time," she said.

"I think it is also important that this occurs to ensure that we do develop a really strong Labor Party that can work in the best interests of the Tasmanian community."

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Ms White said it was important for the party to be inclusive, progressive and forward-thinking if it was to win future elections.

"As people have sadly seen in the media, there have been some issues in the Labor Party that have been exposed over the last few months," she said.

"There have been changes that have already taken place within the organisation.

"They are part of a number of changes that I believe need to continue to occur to ensure that we are as strong as we can be and the best version of the Labor Party that we can be."

Ms White said national secretary and national executive made the decision to stand down Mr McGregor and postpone the state conference.

She said neither Mr Benson or herself requested the action.

While Ms White acknowledged members would be disappointed by the postponement, she said it was not unusual to delay a state conference in an election period.

This is despite an election having not been yet called by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Ms White said Labor's federal election platform had been developed at a federal conference earlier this year with input from Tasmanian members.

Health and Community Services Union secretary Tim Jacobson said Mr McGregor had been sacked without having received natural justice.

A member of Labor's state administration committee, Mr Jacobson said the committee had not been advised of a rule change to allow for the ousting to occur.

"I have never seen such a ruse in my life as what happened [on Tuesday]," he said.

"To say you have to cancel a state conference possibly five months out from a federal election was a ridiculous proposition.

"Cancelling the conference enabled the circumstances under which the national executive could intervene and ultimately do what was requested of them and that was to dispose of the president."

Mr Jacobson said the national executive historically did not act on its own motion.

"It only acts on a referral generally, and on that basis, you would believe the referral could only have been made by the branch secretary Stuart Benson or the leader Rebecca White," he said.

Mr Jacobson said the cancellation of October's conference had disenfranchised rank-and-file members.

"People are feeling completely left out and that will have an impact on their willingness to participate in the next election," he said.

HACSU disaffiliated with the Tasmanian Labor Party this month.

The United Firefighters Union has since threatened to disaffiliate from the party.

Union secretary Leigh Hills said he believed the conference should have been able to go ahead to allow members' views to be held on election policies.

Tasmania Labor senator Anne Urquhart as the party's vice-president will serve as acting president until a new president is elected.

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