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Drawn-out minority talks after state's snap election

Drawn-out minority talks after state's snap election

The Advertiser20-07-2025
Tasmania faces a protracted period of political limbo as election votes are counted and major parties court the cross bench.
The incumbent Liberals (14) claimed more seats than Labor (nine) in Saturday's snap election but neither can reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, whose refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence vote sparked the poll, has been given "first crack" at forming government by Labor leader Dean Winter.
However, Mr Winter hasn't ruled out trying to get the numbers to govern if Mr Rockliff is unable to form a working government.
It could be weeks for three in-doubt seats to be confirmed via preferences, and any formal minority agreements might not be arranged until after the numbers are settled.
Mr Rockliff on Sunday said he had reached out to independents on the cross bench, pledging to work collaboratively.
The Liberals' failure to keep the cross bench onside in minority resulted in an early election in March 2024 as well as the successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff in June.
Mr Rockliff will have to mend bridges and deal with several crossbenchers who are against the Liberals' stadium plan and don't like Liberal-backed salmon farming and forestry.
Two of the four elected independents, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff and have been critical of Tasmania's ballooning debt.
Mr Winter, however, has ruled out doing a deal with the five-seat Greens to form government, despite needing their votes, but has reached out to independents.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff urged Mr Winter to pick up the phone again on Sunday and potentially form an alliance.
Mr Rockliff said the Liberals would not walk away from their pet project $945 million AFL stadium, or their support for traditional industry.
STATE OF PLAY AND NEW FACES
* Seats: Liberal 14, Labor nine, Greens five, independent four, in doubt three
* Bridget Archer (Liberal): The former federal MP was successful in the northern electorate of Bass just a few months after losing her federal seat
* Gavin Peace (Liberal): Another former federal MP who jumped on board to help the party
* Marcus Vermey (Liberal): A third-generation butcher and first-term MP who picked up the most votes for his party in the Hobart-based seat of Clark
* Peter George (Independent): Anti-salmon farming activist coming off a strong campaign at the federal election
Tasmania faces a protracted period of political limbo as election votes are counted and major parties court the cross bench.
The incumbent Liberals (14) claimed more seats than Labor (nine) in Saturday's snap election but neither can reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, whose refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence vote sparked the poll, has been given "first crack" at forming government by Labor leader Dean Winter.
However, Mr Winter hasn't ruled out trying to get the numbers to govern if Mr Rockliff is unable to form a working government.
It could be weeks for three in-doubt seats to be confirmed via preferences, and any formal minority agreements might not be arranged until after the numbers are settled.
Mr Rockliff on Sunday said he had reached out to independents on the cross bench, pledging to work collaboratively.
The Liberals' failure to keep the cross bench onside in minority resulted in an early election in March 2024 as well as the successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff in June.
Mr Rockliff will have to mend bridges and deal with several crossbenchers who are against the Liberals' stadium plan and don't like Liberal-backed salmon farming and forestry.
Two of the four elected independents, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff and have been critical of Tasmania's ballooning debt.
Mr Winter, however, has ruled out doing a deal with the five-seat Greens to form government, despite needing their votes, but has reached out to independents.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff urged Mr Winter to pick up the phone again on Sunday and potentially form an alliance.
Mr Rockliff said the Liberals would not walk away from their pet project $945 million AFL stadium, or their support for traditional industry.
STATE OF PLAY AND NEW FACES
* Seats: Liberal 14, Labor nine, Greens five, independent four, in doubt three
* Bridget Archer (Liberal): The former federal MP was successful in the northern electorate of Bass just a few months after losing her federal seat
* Gavin Peace (Liberal): Another former federal MP who jumped on board to help the party
* Marcus Vermey (Liberal): A third-generation butcher and first-term MP who picked up the most votes for his party in the Hobart-based seat of Clark
* Peter George (Independent): Anti-salmon farming activist coming off a strong campaign at the federal election
Tasmania faces a protracted period of political limbo as election votes are counted and major parties court the cross bench.
The incumbent Liberals (14) claimed more seats than Labor (nine) in Saturday's snap election but neither can reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, whose refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence vote sparked the poll, has been given "first crack" at forming government by Labor leader Dean Winter.
However, Mr Winter hasn't ruled out trying to get the numbers to govern if Mr Rockliff is unable to form a working government.
It could be weeks for three in-doubt seats to be confirmed via preferences, and any formal minority agreements might not be arranged until after the numbers are settled.
Mr Rockliff on Sunday said he had reached out to independents on the cross bench, pledging to work collaboratively.
The Liberals' failure to keep the cross bench onside in minority resulted in an early election in March 2024 as well as the successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff in June.
Mr Rockliff will have to mend bridges and deal with several crossbenchers who are against the Liberals' stadium plan and don't like Liberal-backed salmon farming and forestry.
Two of the four elected independents, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff and have been critical of Tasmania's ballooning debt.
Mr Winter, however, has ruled out doing a deal with the five-seat Greens to form government, despite needing their votes, but has reached out to independents.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff urged Mr Winter to pick up the phone again on Sunday and potentially form an alliance.
Mr Rockliff said the Liberals would not walk away from their pet project $945 million AFL stadium, or their support for traditional industry.
STATE OF PLAY AND NEW FACES
* Seats: Liberal 14, Labor nine, Greens five, independent four, in doubt three
* Bridget Archer (Liberal): The former federal MP was successful in the northern electorate of Bass just a few months after losing her federal seat
* Gavin Peace (Liberal): Another former federal MP who jumped on board to help the party
* Marcus Vermey (Liberal): A third-generation butcher and first-term MP who picked up the most votes for his party in the Hobart-based seat of Clark
* Peter George (Independent): Anti-salmon farming activist coming off a strong campaign at the federal election
Tasmania faces a protracted period of political limbo as election votes are counted and major parties court the cross bench.
The incumbent Liberals (14) claimed more seats than Labor (nine) in Saturday's snap election but neither can reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, whose refusal to resign after losing a no-confidence vote sparked the poll, has been given "first crack" at forming government by Labor leader Dean Winter.
However, Mr Winter hasn't ruled out trying to get the numbers to govern if Mr Rockliff is unable to form a working government.
It could be weeks for three in-doubt seats to be confirmed via preferences, and any formal minority agreements might not be arranged until after the numbers are settled.
Mr Rockliff on Sunday said he had reached out to independents on the cross bench, pledging to work collaboratively.
The Liberals' failure to keep the cross bench onside in minority resulted in an early election in March 2024 as well as the successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff in June.
Mr Rockliff will have to mend bridges and deal with several crossbenchers who are against the Liberals' stadium plan and don't like Liberal-backed salmon farming and forestry.
Two of the four elected independents, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff and have been critical of Tasmania's ballooning debt.
Mr Winter, however, has ruled out doing a deal with the five-seat Greens to form government, despite needing their votes, but has reached out to independents.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff urged Mr Winter to pick up the phone again on Sunday and potentially form an alliance.
Mr Rockliff said the Liberals would not walk away from their pet project $945 million AFL stadium, or their support for traditional industry.
STATE OF PLAY AND NEW FACES
* Seats: Liberal 14, Labor nine, Greens five, independent four, in doubt three
* Bridget Archer (Liberal): The former federal MP was successful in the northern electorate of Bass just a few months after losing her federal seat
* Gavin Peace (Liberal): Another former federal MP who jumped on board to help the party
* Marcus Vermey (Liberal): A third-generation butcher and first-term MP who picked up the most votes for his party in the Hobart-based seat of Clark
* Peter George (Independent): Anti-salmon farming activist coming off a strong campaign at the federal election
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‘Total failure': Israel's return to war has heaped ruin on Gaza and done little for Israelis
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‘Total failure': Israel's return to war has heaped ruin on Gaza and done little for Israelis

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It is failing to do so, Conricus said, because of 'an incoherent Israeli strategy, tremendous international and regional pressure against Israel, and Hamas's willingness to leverage the suffering of the civilian population for its own cynical benefit'. Israel needs to 'strategically regroup, formulate a plan to defeat Hamas and provide a regionally and internationally acceptable solution for the future of the Gaza Strip,' said Conricus, an analyst for the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a research group in Washington.

‘Total failure': Israel's return to war has heaped ruin on Gaza and done little for Israelis
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  • The Age

‘Total failure': Israel's return to war has heaped ruin on Gaza and done little for Israelis

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A vast majority of the population was displaced, and most of the buildings in the territory were damaged, according to the United Nations. Then the resumption of war felt as if someone had 'shut off the last source of life,' said Karam Rabah, a civil servant in central Gaza. 'We thought we'd survived the worst, then it got even worse.' The truce from January to March had brought some respite, said Rabah, who is paid by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, a rival of Hamas. 'Children went back to some kind of learning; families returned to their homes,' he said. Then the fighting restarted, and 'homes that had survived were suddenly gone, and even food became scarce,' he added. 'I never thought that I would fight for a kilogram of flour for my kids.' As Palestinians suffer on one side of the border, Israelis on the other side are questioning what has been achieved through the return to war. 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YouTube to be captured by social media ban
YouTube to be captured by social media ban

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YouTube to be captured by social media ban

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