'Options considered': state's snap election call on ice

The Advertiser

a day ago

Tasmania faces days of political uncertainty with a request by the state's embattled premier for a snap poll being considered by the governor.
Jeremy Rockliff made the drive to Government House on Tuesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, five days after he lost the confidence of the parliament.
"Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options," Government House official secretary David Hughes said.
"By the end of the week the premier will meet with Her Excellency again. Further statements will be made in due course."
Mr Rockliff has refused to resign after losing Thursday's vote of no-confidence, putting the state on a seemingly unavoidable collision course with an election.
It is not clear whether Ms Baker will ask the Liberals to find a new leader and premier, which would remove the need for a poll.
Former senator Eric Abetz, Deputy Premier Guy Barnett and ex-deputy Michael Ferguson are among Liberal leadership options.
Labor, which has just 10 seats, has ruled out forming a minority government in alliance with the five-seat Greens plus members of the crossbench.
Tasmania is staring down the barrel of its fourth election in seven years. The Liberals were returned to power in minority in March 2024 with 14 of 35 lower-house seats.
"I respect the need for her excellency to take the appropriate time to consider important matters of state," Mr Rockliff said in a statement.
"I remain committed to serving the people of Tasmania."
The no-confidence motion was put forward by Labor and supported by the Greens and three crossbench independent MPs.
Labor said the motion against Mr Rockliff was necessary because of his financial "mismanagement" and poor handling of delayed and over-budget new Bass Strait ferries.
Labor was ready to contest an election, MP Josh Willie told parliament.
His party would enter a campaign without veteran MP and Speaker Michelle O'Byrne, who announced on Tuesday she would not run again.
Ms O'Byrne, elected to state parliament in 2006, criticised parliament's dysfunction.
"If minority government is the way of the future then it requires us all to behave differently," she told parliament.
"We have to have the maturity to not do things just because we can. The events of the last week have proven that."
Election battle lines have already been drawn, with the Liberals dropping a plan to investigate public asset sales and announcing former federal MP Bridget Archer would run in Bass.
Liberal MP Felix Ellis said the party was "united" behind Mr Rockliff.
A plan for a $945 million stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028, is likely to be a major issue for potential voters.
The project is backed by the Liberals and Labor but the Greens and several crossbenchers are opposed.
Recent opinion polling showed 60 per cent of Tasmanians were also against the development.
Tasmania faces days of political uncertainty with a request by the state's embattled premier for a snap poll being considered by the governor.
Jeremy Rockliff made the drive to Government House on Tuesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, five days after he lost the confidence of the parliament.
"Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options," Government House official secretary David Hughes said.
"By the end of the week the premier will meet with Her Excellency again. Further statements will be made in due course."
Mr Rockliff has refused to resign after losing Thursday's vote of no-confidence, putting the state on a seemingly unavoidable collision course with an election.
It is not clear whether Ms Baker will ask the Liberals to find a new leader and premier, which would remove the need for a poll.
Former senator Eric Abetz, Deputy Premier Guy Barnett and ex-deputy Michael Ferguson are among Liberal leadership options.
Labor, which has just 10 seats, has ruled out forming a minority government in alliance with the five-seat Greens plus members of the crossbench.
Tasmania is staring down the barrel of its fourth election in seven years. The Liberals were returned to power in minority in March 2024 with 14 of 35 lower-house seats.
"I respect the need for her excellency to take the appropriate time to consider important matters of state," Mr Rockliff said in a statement.
"I remain committed to serving the people of Tasmania."
The no-confidence motion was put forward by Labor and supported by the Greens and three crossbench independent MPs.
Labor said the motion against Mr Rockliff was necessary because of his financial "mismanagement" and poor handling of delayed and over-budget new Bass Strait ferries.
Labor was ready to contest an election, MP Josh Willie told parliament.
His party would enter a campaign without veteran MP and Speaker Michelle O'Byrne, who announced on Tuesday she would not run again.
Ms O'Byrne, elected to state parliament in 2006, criticised parliament's dysfunction.
"If minority government is the way of the future then it requires us all to behave differently," she told parliament.
"We have to have the maturity to not do things just because we can. The events of the last week have proven that."
Election battle lines have already been drawn, with the Liberals dropping a plan to investigate public asset sales and announcing former federal MP Bridget Archer would run in Bass.
Liberal MP Felix Ellis said the party was "united" behind Mr Rockliff.
A plan for a $945 million stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028, is likely to be a major issue for potential voters.
The project is backed by the Liberals and Labor but the Greens and several crossbenchers are opposed.
Recent opinion polling showed 60 per cent of Tasmanians were also against the development.
Tasmania faces days of political uncertainty with a request by the state's embattled premier for a snap poll being considered by the governor.
Jeremy Rockliff made the drive to Government House on Tuesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, five days after he lost the confidence of the parliament.
"Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options," Government House official secretary David Hughes said.
"By the end of the week the premier will meet with Her Excellency again. Further statements will be made in due course."
Mr Rockliff has refused to resign after losing Thursday's vote of no-confidence, putting the state on a seemingly unavoidable collision course with an election.
It is not clear whether Ms Baker will ask the Liberals to find a new leader and premier, which would remove the need for a poll.
Former senator Eric Abetz, Deputy Premier Guy Barnett and ex-deputy Michael Ferguson are among Liberal leadership options.
Labor, which has just 10 seats, has ruled out forming a minority government in alliance with the five-seat Greens plus members of the crossbench.
Tasmania is staring down the barrel of its fourth election in seven years. The Liberals were returned to power in minority in March 2024 with 14 of 35 lower-house seats.
"I respect the need for her excellency to take the appropriate time to consider important matters of state," Mr Rockliff said in a statement.
"I remain committed to serving the people of Tasmania."
The no-confidence motion was put forward by Labor and supported by the Greens and three crossbench independent MPs.
Labor said the motion against Mr Rockliff was necessary because of his financial "mismanagement" and poor handling of delayed and over-budget new Bass Strait ferries.
Labor was ready to contest an election, MP Josh Willie told parliament.
His party would enter a campaign without veteran MP and Speaker Michelle O'Byrne, who announced on Tuesday she would not run again.
Ms O'Byrne, elected to state parliament in 2006, criticised parliament's dysfunction.
"If minority government is the way of the future then it requires us all to behave differently," she told parliament.
"We have to have the maturity to not do things just because we can. The events of the last week have proven that."
Election battle lines have already been drawn, with the Liberals dropping a plan to investigate public asset sales and announcing former federal MP Bridget Archer would run in Bass.
Liberal MP Felix Ellis said the party was "united" behind Mr Rockliff.
A plan for a $945 million stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028, is likely to be a major issue for potential voters.
The project is backed by the Liberals and Labor but the Greens and several crossbenchers are opposed.
Recent opinion polling showed 60 per cent of Tasmanians were also against the development.
Tasmania faces days of political uncertainty with a request by the state's embattled premier for a snap poll being considered by the governor.
Jeremy Rockliff made the drive to Government House on Tuesday evening to meet with Governor Barbara Baker, five days after he lost the confidence of the parliament.
"Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options," Government House official secretary David Hughes said.
"By the end of the week the premier will meet with Her Excellency again. Further statements will be made in due course."
Mr Rockliff has refused to resign after losing Thursday's vote of no-confidence, putting the state on a seemingly unavoidable collision course with an election.
It is not clear whether Ms Baker will ask the Liberals to find a new leader and premier, which would remove the need for a poll.
Former senator Eric Abetz, Deputy Premier Guy Barnett and ex-deputy Michael Ferguson are among Liberal leadership options.
Labor, which has just 10 seats, has ruled out forming a minority government in alliance with the five-seat Greens plus members of the crossbench.
Tasmania is staring down the barrel of its fourth election in seven years. The Liberals were returned to power in minority in March 2024 with 14 of 35 lower-house seats.
"I respect the need for her excellency to take the appropriate time to consider important matters of state," Mr Rockliff said in a statement.
"I remain committed to serving the people of Tasmania."
The no-confidence motion was put forward by Labor and supported by the Greens and three crossbench independent MPs.
Labor said the motion against Mr Rockliff was necessary because of his financial "mismanagement" and poor handling of delayed and over-budget new Bass Strait ferries.
Labor was ready to contest an election, MP Josh Willie told parliament.
His party would enter a campaign without veteran MP and Speaker Michelle O'Byrne, who announced on Tuesday she would not run again.
Ms O'Byrne, elected to state parliament in 2006, criticised parliament's dysfunction.
"If minority government is the way of the future then it requires us all to behave differently," she told parliament.
"We have to have the maturity to not do things just because we can. The events of the last week have proven that."
Election battle lines have already been drawn, with the Liberals dropping a plan to investigate public asset sales and announcing former federal MP Bridget Archer would run in Bass.
Liberal MP Felix Ellis said the party was "united" behind Mr Rockliff.
A plan for a $945 million stadium at Hobart's Macquarie Point, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028, is likely to be a major issue for potential voters.
The project is backed by the Liberals and Labor but the Greens and several crossbenchers are opposed.
Recent opinion polling showed 60 per cent of Tasmanians were also against the development.