SA Liberal leader David Speirs has cancelled plans to return to Scotland for another family wedding.

But speculation continues as the State Government urges a leadership challenge.

In a statement issued at deadline for press last week, a spokesperson for the Leader of the Opposition said the Liberal Party was “incredibly united” under his leadership.

The comments came in the wake of claims Mr Speirs had issued an ultimatum to his colleagues, urging them to mount a challenge to his leadership.

Mr Speirs had returned to Scotland for a cousin’s wedding when the State Budget was released, and was hoping to return for another family wedding soon.

But that meant possibly missing the first week of Parliament on top of missing the release of the Budget.

As a result, disgruntled Liberals had leaked to several media outlets, including The [Naracoorte Community] News.

Labor then seized on comments Mr Speirs had made on ABC radio after claims that unhappy Liberals were leaking against him, and issued a press release.

In the release, Labor quoted Mr Speirs as saying on radio: “If someone wants to challenge me, come on and challenge me. I reckon I’d get more votes than I got when I got elected leader of this party in 2022.”

The release further claimed shadow minister Josh Teague “repeatedly refused to rule out a challenge” during a media conference.

Additional allegations were made following a FiveAA media interview with shadow minister Vincent Tarzia.

“Yet again we see leaks, chaos, disunity and downright disloyalty from the SA Liberals,” Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said.

“David Speirs is leader who doesn’t want to be there, and his colleagues are more interested in leaking against him than coming up with policy ideas which could improve our state.

“The leakers and underminers in the Liberal Party room should heed David Speirs’s call and put up or shut up.”

A spokesperson for Mr Speirs said the claims were “nothing more than the typical antagonistic behaviour we’ve all come to expect from Tom Koutsantonis”.

“It’s a great shame that Tom Koutsantonis – a senior member of Peter Malinauskas’s Cabinet – is obsessed with gossip and innuendo, rather than focussing his attention on the issues that really matter.

“The Liberal Opposition has an unwavering focus on the issues of health, cost of living and housing, as well as holding the Malinauskas Labor Government to account on the promises they made to South Australians.

“We suggest Tom Koutsantonis’ time could be better spent on his portfolio responsibilities – like fixing South Australia’s regional roads – than hearsay and rumours.”

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.