Australia's Tasmania on track for minority government after poll
The conservative Liberal government was on track to win more seats than the main Labor opposition in the new parliament but would probably fall short of a majority after Saturday's election, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. projected.
The Liberals' strong performance under Jeremy Rockliff, premier since 2022, follows a heavy defeat suffered at May's national election, which returned Anthony Albanese-led Labor for a second term with an increased majority.
Saturday's vote showed Tasmanians have "no confidence in the Labor party to form government and they have voted to reendorse our Liberal government," Rockliff said in televised remarks from the state capital of Hobart.
The result for Labor, on track to win nine seats of a possible 35, was shaping as the party's worst-ever result in Tasmania, the Guardian Australia newspaper said.
On Sunday, state Labor leader Dean Winter said the result was disappointing for the party, but he did not concede defeat.
The election was triggered by a no-confidence vote against Rockliff initiated by Labor on concerns about public debt and plans to privatise assets.
It came less than two years after the state's most recent poll, in which a majority eluded the Liberals.
The only Australian state to elect its lower house on the basis of proportional representation, Tasmania has a long history of minority governments.
Wilderness or protected areas make up 40% of the island, which is 445 km (275 miles) away from Melbourne, usually requiring a flight of an hour, or a ferry crossing 10 times longer, to cover the distance.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Windham Republicans choose Hailey Desaulniers as mayoral candidate
WINDHAM — The Windham Republican Town Committee held its caucus on Tuesday night and candidates for the upcoming November election were endorsed. Committee chair Mike Desaulniers said he was excited to see a mix of new and established names. 'I believe politics in general requires a breath of fresh air,' Desaulniers said. 'In my opinion, it is time for a changing of the guard.' Hailey Desaulniers, the daughter of Mike and Kimberly Desaulniers, will challenge current Mayor Tom DeVivo, a Democrat, for the mayoral seat. 'I appreciate the fact that the new individuals who put their names forward this year genuinely seem concerned about the town, the direction we are heading and the fiscal viability of the town,' Mike Desaulniers said. 'I think everyone recognizes that we are a poverty-stricken town with a wealth of pride in where we live, with a strong sense of family.' For the Board of Finance, Charles Pennewill and Pazit Edelman will be running for the election in the fall, while Dustin Rood and Roger Morin will be on the candidate list for the Zoning Board of Appeals full term. Dustin Rood is also running for the Zoning Board of Appeals as an alternate. For the town council spots, Mike Desaulniers will be running for the Windham seat, while Joshua Holman and Ricky Martinez will be running for the Willimantic seat. The two town councils, which will have at-large slots, will be run by Curtis Ehler and Steven Edelman. John McCommas will be running for the Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors seat. Mike Desaulniers, Pennewill and Ehler are incumbents in this upcoming election, while Hailey Desaulniers, Rood, Holman and Martinez are newcomers. Edelman is returning to reclaim his seat. 'The predominant sentiment expressed at the caucus last night was a strong desire for community involvement and a desire to see our town succeed,' Desaulniers said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mansfield Republicans surprised by some caucus results
MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Republican Town Committee held its caucus, and candidates for the upcoming November election were nominated. Committee chair Alfred Fratoni said he was a little surprised by the turnout and the results of the caucus. 'That's the thing about caucus, when you go into them, you can have a slate all set and then all of a sudden it gets changed,' Fratoni said. 'That's what happened.' Fratoni said the endorsed list is a combination of newcomers and incumbents. 'It's basically a whole new Town Council slate from our current one,' Fratoni said. 'The rest of it is pretty much people returning, with a couple of new people. It's wonderful and we think it's a good slate.' Republicans endorsed for Town Council (two-year terms) include Aaron Bowman, Gail Zaicek and Charlie Ausburger. Bowman and Zaicek are newcomers, while Ausburger is returning, but not considered an incumbent. Board of Education (six-year terms) candidates include Greg Cecil (incumbent), while Board of Assessment Appeals (two-year terms) candidates include Doryann Plante (incumbent). Vera Stearns will be returning for Planning and Zoning Commissioner (six-year term), but not as an incumbent. Newcomer Robert Zaicek is up as a Planning and Zoning alternate (four-year term), while incumbent Robert Stearns will run for Zoning Board of Appeals (four-year term). Deborah Paulson, a newcomer, will run as an alternate for the Zoning Board of Appeals (four-year term). Incumbents not endorsed for this year include Christopher Kueffner and G. William Tomecko, both of whom are on the Town Council, and Nicholas Burnore, who serves as a Planning and Zoning alternate. Incumbents elected who will not seek re-election include Alfred Fratoni as a Planning and Zoning commissioner. 'The mindset of the caucus is that they looked at the list and said we need to make some changes,' Fratoni said. 'It's really hard to read people and know what they're thinking. It's just the way it works.' The original list before the final caucus results included: Christopher Kueffner, G. William Tomecko and Aaron Bowman for Town Council; incumbent Doryann Plante for Board of Assessment Appeals; Vera Ward for Planning & Zoning Commission; Nicholas Burnore for Planning and Zoning Commission alternate; incumbent Robert Stearns for Zoning Board of Appeals; and newcomer Charles Ausburger for Zoning Board of Appeals alternate. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tom DeVivo receives Windham DTC endorsement for mayor
WINDHAM — The Windham Democratic Town Committee held its caucus and candidates for the upcoming November election were endorsed. Committee chair Bill Sayers said the Democrat slate presented is an exceptional group of people who have the best interests of the people of Windham at heart. 'This slate presents stability and growth for Windham,' Sayers said. 'I'm excited to show the voters what's in store. This is exactly what we were hoping for.' Mayor Tom DeVivo will seek re-election in hopes of retaining his seat. He said he was humbled by the nomination and the support of the town committee. The council at-large includes incumbents Dawn Niles, Randall Prose and Bill Sayers. The Windham council includes incumbents Joe Pliss, Rodney Alexander, Edelmiro Rios and Clinton Adams. For the Board of Education, newcomers Gary Getzer, Paula Haney and Catherine Pomo will be running. The Board of Finance will have incumbents Tyler Griffin, Kevin Donahue, Mary Ann Daly, Garnet McLaughlin and Peter Hughes coming back to renew their seats. Incumbents Adam Richardson, Jared Lietzel and Dennis O'Brien and newcomer Kale Postler will run for the Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors. Board of Assessment Appeals incumbent Murphy Sewall and newcomer Susan Hunter will run for two spots. Incumbent Barbara McGrath and newcomer Gary Fetzer will run for the spots open on the Zoning Board of Appeals. 'I believe the voters of Windham will vote to elect the entire Democratic slate,' Sayers said. 'We have the experience, ability and desire to move Windham forward.'
