Tasmania set for another election after no confidence vote against Premier
A second Tasmanian election in 15 months is expected to be called on Tuesday, after a vote of no confidence against the Premier was passed last week.
On Tuesday, parliament will meet and pass emergency legislation so public servants receive their wages during and after an election.
Unless Premier Jeremy Rockliff is replaced as Liberal leader, or Labor forms a minority government - an idea Labor leader Dean Winter has rejected - Tasmanians will return to the polls in coming weeks for the fourth time in seven years.
Key issues which led to the no confidence vote last week are the mammoth bill for a new stadium to house a new AFL team, continually delayed upgrades to the mainland ferry service, and the state's struggling economy.
The no confidence motion passed Tasmania's parliament 18-17 after two days of debate, with Labor Speaker Michelle O'Byrne carrying the deciding vote.
On Tuesday, Mr Rockliff is expected to visit the state's Governor, Barbara Baker, and ask her to call an election.
Ms Baker can theoretically tell the Premier to return to his party room and see if there's another person who could become leader.
Labor leader Dean Winter could in theory form a minority government, but he has ruled that out, despite indications from the Greens they were willing to form a minority government with Labor.
However the most likely outcome is parliament will be dissolved and an election date will be set.
Tasmanians were thrust into an early state election in March 2024, as Mr Rockliff attempted to regain a majority Liberal government.
The previous Liberal leader, Peter Gutwein, called a snap election in 2021 - a year ahead of schedule as well.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Albanese calls shooting of Australian journalist with rubber bullet in Los Angeles 'horrific'
Anthony Albanese says he's spoken to Nine journalist Lauren Tomasi and has raised the incident with the Trump administration.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Lidia Thorpe claims NT Chief Minister ‘complicit' in genocide amid ire over deaths in custody
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the Northern Territory's chief minister of being 'complicit in the ongoing genocide' of Indigenous Australians. The claim came after two men recently died in police custody in the Top End, sparking ire across the country. Senator Thorpe said on Tuesday 'there's no trust in the Northern Territory Police Force'. 'We know that they have systemic racism,' she told the ABC. 'We know through the Kumanjayi Walker inquest that the Northern Territory Police are racist, so families do not trust the Northern Territory Police and we need federal leadership. 'We need the feds to step in here.' There have been calls, including from Indigenous Affairs Minister Malindiri McCarthy, for an external review of deaths in NT Police custody. But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has pushed back, instead saying she trusted the Territory's police to review itself. 'I think that shows how out of touch the Northern Territory Chief Minister is and that she is complicit in the ongoing genocide against our people,' Senator Thorpe said. Pressed on what grounds she was making the claim, Senator Thorpe said Ms Finocchiaro was playing a role in the system that causing 'ongoing harm of our people'. 'The definition of genocide, according to the Geneva Convention, is causing harm to a group of people,' she said. 'The ongoing killings of our people in custody is ongoing harm of our people. 'The incarceration rates of our people, particularly in the Northern Territory, particularly of our children, is an act of genocide. 'The stealing of children and putting them in with white families is an act of genocide. 'So we meet all the definitions of genocide and I've certainly seen that over my time.'
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Albanese opens search for ideas to shape second-term agenda
Anthony Albanese will convene experts, unions and business leaders in Canberra later this year to brainstorm ideas for economic growth, as his government seeks a reform agenda to capitalise on its new-found parliamentary dominance. The prime minister used a National Press Club address on Tuesday to announce an August round table on the themes of growth and productivity with the express purpose of preparing the ground for "further economic reform", led by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. "Our government has secured a mandate to act," he said. "What we want is a focused dialogue and constructive debate that leads to concrete and tangible action." The move mirrors the Jobs and Skills Summit held in the Albanese government's first term, which underlined the case for its expansive workplace relations agenda. While naming the implementation of Labor's election promises as his first priority, Mr Albanese said he wanted the round table to lead to "long-term, lasting change" by seeking broad consensus. "Change that is imposed unilaterally by government rarely endures. Key to lasting change is reform that Australians own and understand … That's the long-term, long-lasting change our government wants to deliver," he said. There is no shortage of economic reform ideas which advocates say could boost productivity and living standards, including redesigning the tax system, improving social services and removing regulatory "red tape". The PM did not point to any specific ideas but said the round table would be "streamlined" and consider "a more targeted set of issues". Among the priorities he cited were faster housing and energy approvals, a better skills system, more user-friendly government services, and regulation to balance the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence. "Some of this is about government doing the basics better, targeting duplication, removing barriers to investment and reducing the cost of doing business. "But not every challenge can be solved by government stepping back. This is a time when government has to step up," he said. Mr Albanese also outlined a timeline for implementing the government's election policies, with 5 per cent home deposits slated to take effect "by next year" and all of the promised 50 new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open by the mid-2026. The PM also used his speech to reveal key public service movements, with long-serving Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy to head up the prime minister's own department to replace the outgoing Glyn Davis. Jenny Wilkinson, the current Secretary of the Department of Finance, will become Treasury secretary, the first woman to hold the role. "We respect the vital role the Australian public service has to play … These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation." Mr Albanese again brushed off US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's suggestion that Australia lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, well beyond the government's current plan to reach 2.3 per cent over a decade. "I think that Australia should decide what we spend on Australia's defence, simple as that," he said. "Arbitrary figures lead to a cul-de-sac, and we want to make sure as well that every single dollar that defence spends lead to actual assets. "It seems to me that if the health minister or the [communications] minister or the infrastructure minister came to us and said, 'we want you to spend X percentage of GDP but we won't tell you what it's for', that they wouldn't get far in an ERC process. "And there is no reason why defence shouldn't be governed by anything other than one factor: what do we need?" The prime minister also pointed to the importance of regional relationships as a complement to defence spending. "The work that we have done with our neighbours, including Papua New Guinea and Indonesia … is one of the things that we need to take account of as well, and something that my government is very focused on."
