ACT Labor secretary Mel James is quitting the post, just four months after helping to mastermind the party's sixth-straight election victory.
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Ms James is leaving Canberra to take up the position of chief of staff to Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White, ahead of the state election due next year.
She handed in her notice of resignation to ACT Labor president Brooke Muscat late on Tuesday afternoon, after Ms White had announced her appointment via media release.
"I am writing with mixed emotion to inform you that I will be resigning from the position of ACT Labor secretary effective 19 March, 2021," Ms James wrote in a letter to Ms Muscat.
"It has been an absolute privilege to serve the party as secretary. I know the experience will serve me well as I now take up a twelve-month opportunity in Tasmania, as Chief of Staff to Rebecca White MP."
A former chief of staff to Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, Ms James took charge of ACT Labor head office following the resignation of former secretary Matt Byrne in late 2019.
She steered Labor's 2020 election campaign through the disruptions of last summer's bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, which culminated in Andrew Barr's team being returned to government - albeit with two fewer seats - on October 17.
"I am proud to have been part of the election campaign that saw a Labor government returned for a 6th consecutive term," she said.
"We can proudly claim that the Barr Labor government remains the most progressive government in Australia."
Ms James, who was born and raised in Tasmania, told The Canberra Times that the opportunity to return home was one of the major reasons behind her decision.
She said she would be disappointed not to lead ACT Labor into a federal election campaign set to be fought on values the party "holds dear". She would also regret not being able to spend more time re-connecting with grassroots members after the pandemic forced the cancellation of meetings.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr praised Ms James for her "outstanding job" running ACT Labor's 2020 election campaign.
Her strategic advice, organisational skills and Hare-Clark campaigning insights throughout the campaign were pivotal in our election win," Mr Barr said.
"I wish her all the best in her new role in Tasmania. It is an exciting opportunity ahead of the state election due in early 2022."
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
