Tasmania finally has a stable government a month after election day after no confidence motion fails in Parliament
The motion would have potentially sent voters back to the polls yet again, but the Liberal Party prevailed.
The decision was 10 votes for the no confidence motion and 24 against, with all members of the government, the Shooters, Farmers and Fishers Party and several members of the crossbench rejecting the motion. The decision means that Labor has formally lost the election.
Mr Rockliff said that Tasmania had spoken, and it was time for the political posturing and games to end.
'Tasmania clearly rejected the political games, and they want us to get on with it," Mr Rockliffe told Parliament.
"Labor recorded their lowest vote since 1903. There was clearly a lesson in that,' he said.
Speaking in State Parliament today, Opposition Leader Dean Winter labelled Mr Rockcliff a sellout, adding that the premier had to give concessions to the cross bench in order to maintain office.
'I would rather not be Premier, than a Premier who sells out Tasmanian working families," he said.
'This day might not end well for me, but this day will define this premier for the rest of his political career.
"He will have the stigma of being a sellout, of giving in to Greens demand on racing, salmon and forestry.
"Selling out people who backed him for 20 years.
"No one can ever trust you again."
Several members of the crossbench lined up to criticise the Labor party, with Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff saying she could not trust Mr Winters.
'We were expected to trust Labor to make potential changes to policy through a miasma of Parliament process over the next four years, instead of providing upfront commitments to us about the changes they would make,' she said.
Former ABC reporter turned independent Peter George said that the opposition was ineffective.
'Labor set about undermining the very notion of collaboration and compromise as it sought to lead a minority government," he said as he sided with the government.
"In my years of reporting politics, which stretch back to the Whitlam years, never have I come across an opposition party less ready for government,' he said.
Tasmania's parliament returns on September 9th.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canberra Times
an hour ago
- Canberra Times
Air Canada to resume service as attendants end strike
Labor leaders objected to the Canadian government's repeated use of a law that cuts off workers' right to strike and forces them into arbitration, a step the government took in recent years with workers at ports, railways and elsewhere.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Live with your decision': Crossbench, Greens, and Liberals unite to crush Labor's no-confidence bid
Labor has suffered a humiliating defeat in Tasmania's parliament, with its no-confidence motion against the Rockliff government failing to secure a single crossbench vote. The motion, moved by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, was met with a rare display of unity from all other sides, leaving Labor exposed and widely criticised. The newly elected member for Franklin and former ABC reporter, Peter George, delivered one of the most scathing assessments of Labor's performance so far. 'Labor set about undermining the very notion of collaboration and compromise as it sought to lead a minority government,' Mr George told the House of Assembly. 'In my years of reporting politics, which stretch back to the Whitlam years, never have I come across an opposition party less ready for government.' Mr George did not spare the Liberals either, describing himself as caught between a 'rock and a hard place' and criticising their inflexibility over the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium. During the heated debate, Mr Winter continued interjecting across the floor while others spoke, drawing criticism from both sides and highlighting the opposition's disjointed strategy. 'We are here because the 51st parliament had no confidence in the Rockliff government. This parliament should have no more confidence,' Mr Winter said. He acknowledged that the vote may not go his way but said he had stuck by his values, accusing the Premier of letting down workers in the greyhound, forestry and salmon industries. 'How could anyone ever invest with confidence with a premier willing to sell any industry out and whose word means nothing, and the letters he writes are now worthless,' Mr Winter said. 'No-one can ever trust you again, you have shown there is no job in Tasmania you will not sell out to save your own.' He also attacked the Greens for allegedly abandoning public sector workers facing job losses, those waiting for public housing, and regional Tasmanians struggling to access healthcare. Premier Rockliff, the only Liberal MP to speak on the motion, emphasised the need for collaboration in a minority government. 'We cannot ignore the fact that in minority government we must come together and agree on policy positions that reflect the wider will of the people,' Mr Rockliff said. 'Minority government may well be here for decades to come, and that's why we need to listen, learn and continue to make progress. We might not always agree, but everyone deserves to be heard.' He blamed Mr Winter for sending parliament 'right back where we were'. Labor also accused the Liberals of having 'done a deal' with the Greens. Deputy Opposition Leader Anita Dow claimed the election of a Greens MP as deputy speaker showed collusion between the two parties. 'Another layer of the Liberal-Green deal has been exposed,' Ms Dow said. 'If it looks like a deal, and walks like a deal, it's a deal. Jeremy Rockliff has got in to bed with the Greens, and he's sold out Tasmanian workers to save his own job.' Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party could not back a motion that put Labor into power – but said the minor party did not have confidence in the Liberals either. 'We tried really hard to work with Labor,' Ms Woodruff said. 'Mr Winter showed no capacity or intention to negotiate with the Greens or to make policy compromises. 'Labor has nothing to offer. They continue to blindly back building a billion-dollar stadium the state doesn't need and clearly can't afford.' Independent members also refused to back Labor. Kristie Johnston described the Liberals' concessions as 'purely altruistic' but criticised Labor's lack of preparedness to govern in a power-sharing parliament. David O'Byrne echoed the sentiment, condemning the motion as a political stunt. 'Here we are again, groundhog day … because you want to score a political point,' he said. 'My vote today will be against this motion.' Deputy Labor leader Josh Willie warned the crossbench that they would bear the consequences of keeping the government in power. 'When the government starts behaving like it always has, you will be stuck with them,' Mr Willie said. 'There will be no trigger for an early election, you will be stuck with this government for four years because you enabled it. You will own the poor decisions, the backflips, and the poor governance. Tasmania will be worse for it, and you will have to live with your decision.' Labor's motion was defeated 24 to 10.
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Tasmanian Liberals retain power
A no-confidence motion in Tasmania's Liberal government has failed to pass. It marks the final note in the Tasmanian election, with Labor defeated, and the Liberal government retaining power in minority.
