Hobart's Lord Mayor has been forced to withdraw from speaking at a Labor Party fundraiser because she is considering standing as a Liberal Party candidate in the state seat of Franklin.
Ms Hickey confirmed at the weekend that she was considering having a tilt for the seat of Franklin in the next state election.
Yesterday on Facebook she was also billed as the guest speaker for a Labor Party fundraiser at an Indian restaurant on Sunday.
Labor Denison candidate newcomer Zelinda Sherlock — who had already sold 45 tickets at $40 a head for the fundraising buffet dinner spruiking Ms Hickey as the main act — said she was "more than disappointed" by Ms Hickey's decision.
Ms Hickey said she had withdrawn from the event because it was against the "rules".
"There is some slim possibility that I might be running for parliament myself, [and] the rules are that I just can't do it," she said.
Ms Hickey said Ms Sherlock was a friend of hers, and she had accepted the invitation to speak at the event "ages ago".
"Quite frankly, it was because they are a family that I am very fond of," she said.
"Also, I have done a private citizenship ceremony for the father, I just didn't think about any consequences.
"I thought it would be a nice thing to do as a friend."
The ABC broke the news of Ms Hickey's decision to Ms Sherlock on Tuesday night.
"I feel more than disappointed, I would say, it's regrettable that she has pulled out of it," she said.
Ms Sherlock, who teaches refugee children in Hobart, said Ms Hickey was invited to speak at the event about women and diversity in politics.
"It's discourteous that I was not informed that she was not attending," she said.
Hickey's backflip gets a tick
Political commentator Richard Herr said Ms Hickey made the right call in pulling out of the event.
"It would be somewhat hypocritical, and probably somewhat disloyal to the [Liberal] Party, to help raise money for the other party," Professor Herr said.
"It was probably safer to withdraw from this occasion."
Political analyst Kevin Bonham said Ms Hickey had a good chance of picking up a seat in Franklin.
"The existing Franklin incumbents apart from Will Hodgman are quite beatable," he said.
"Jacqui Petrusma has been plagued by controversy, [and] Nic Street [who] nominated halfway through the term has a fairly low profile."
Mr Bonham said preselecting Hobart's Lord Mayor for the seat of Franklin could be a plot to oust Mrs Petrusma.
"When Tim Cox was being announced for Labor for Denison, there was media with people saying this was a plot to oust Madeline Ogilvie, so by the same token you would have to say this was a plot to oust Jacqui Petrusma."
Ms Hickey said the Liberal Party wanted her to run in the seat of Franklin because Denison was overcrowded with candidates.
"I'll give it my best shot if I do it, [and] ultimately it is up to the people of Franklin, and they'll choose the candidate they want," she said.
Ms Hickey said she had about two weeks to confirm her preselection with the Liberal Party.
