Result finalised in Tasmanian seat of Bass after July 19 state election
Independent George Razay, a doctor and City of Launceston councillor, has secured the last seat in Bass in an extraordinarily complicated contest.
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ABC News
25 minutes ago
- ABC News
Abetz in, Barnett out as treasurer in Tasmanian Liberals cabinet shuffle
Former federal MPs Bridget Archer and Gavin Pearce are new faces in Premier Jeremy Rockliff's latest cabinet, Roger Jaensch has been dumped, and Deputy Premier Guy Barnett moved on as treasurer. Ms Archer has been appointed to the demanding health portfolio, replacing Jacquie Petrusma, who has stepped down to focus on her recovery from a serious hamstring injury she suffered in June. Mr Pearce will be the minister for primary industries and water, and veterans affairs, replacing former children and youth minister Roger Jaensch. Mr Barnett has been moved from the treasury portfolio following an immense backlash over this year's state budget, which projected that net debt would grow to almost $11 billion in the 2028-29 financial year. Eric Abetz will take on the portfolio. Mr Rockliff will have no ministerial responsibilities in his new-look cabinet after he was re-commissioned by Governor Barbara Baker on Wednesday, saying he wanted to concentrate on his duties as premier. "It's important that with the new make-up of parliament that I'm able to dedicate the time to working across all areas of parliament and the crossbench, so I can have greater opportunity and investment of time in collaboration and listening and learning from all members of parliament," he said. Mr Rockliff said Ms Archer, who has also been appointed to the new ageing portfolio and as minister for Aboriginal affairs, would be a great addition to his cabinet. Mr Rockliff said Mr Barnett had not been dumped as treasurer, but was instead taking on "increased responsibility" by also adding the justice and small business portfolios. "There was a range of areas of responsibility, and I want to ensure that each member of parliament has the right workload balance to be able to support them in making key decisions," he said. Education Minister Jo Palmer will also become the children and youth minister, and be responsible for the closure of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. Mr Abetz will remain responsible for the government's proposed AFL stadium, in a renamed role as minister for Macquarie Point urban renewal. Mr Rockliff said he was confident his new cabinet would remain in place for the next four years, despite his government being expected to face a no-confidence motion as soon as parliament resumes on August 19. Labor Leader Dean Winter, who met with all five Independent MPs on Thursday as he continued his bid to form a minority government, has confirmed his party or a crossbench MP will move a no-confidence motion. The premier said Mr Winter had "had learnt nothing" from last month's state election, where Labor suffered a 3.1 per cent statewide swing against it. "What Tasmanians want is a stable parliament, a government that works across the parliament in the best interests of Tasmanians and a government that can get on with the job of delivering key areas of our agenda, but also key areas of passions for other MPs as well," he said. Ms Archer, who topped the poll in her seat of Bass after being defeated at this year's federal election, said she looked forward to taking on the challenge of the health portfolio. She said the government had made great strides in reducing the elective surgery waiting list under Ms Petrusma's leadership, and hoped to "continue the momentum". "I very much look forward to being able to work collaboratively with the parliament and across stakeholders in our community in what is, I think, one of our most important areas of responsibility in northern Tasmania and right across Tasmania," she said. Mr Rockliff said he had great admiration for Ms Petrusma, and "her diligence over the course of the last 15 or 16 months as she has dedicated her time to the health system".
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 7 August 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . An appeal is being heard today against Supreme Court orders preventing the New South Wales parliament from expelling MP Gareth Ward. The injunction prevents State Parliament's lower house leader Ron Hoenig and Speaker Greg Piper from moving a motion to remove the disgraced MP. Mr Ward has lodged an appeal against his conviction for sexual intercourse without consent and three counts of indecent assault, and he will be automatically expelled from the Parliament if that appeal fails. But in the meantime, both Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman say his presence in Parliament is 'unconscionable'. Police have found the body of a woman swept away by floodwaters in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. New South Wales Police say that while the body has not yet been identified, they are confident it is the 26 year old who had been caught up in a current after the car she was a passenger in attempted to drive over a flooded causeway in Rothbury on Saturday. The 27 year old driver managed to get to safety. Chinese state media has confirmed both women are Chinese nationals. The Tasmanian Labor Party says they will move another motion of no-confidence in the Liberals when state parliament resumes on August 19. The threat comes after the re-appointment of Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff by Governor Barbara Baker. Mr Rockliff has no formal agreements of support with the 11 elected minor party MPs and independents, but the governor has said the incumbent had the right to remain in office to test the numbers. The state's opposition leader Dean Winter says Tasmanians can be assured that the new motion won't lead to another new election. "Under the Liberals we've seen three early election in a row, and that's gotta change, which means we need to change the way parliament works, and we need to change the government. The crossbenchers have seen the way that the government led by Jeremy Rockliff has been operating now for the past 15 months, in particular, but even longer than that. It's been a lack of consultation, a lack of respect, and only a couple of weeks ago, the Premier was attacking those independents and crossbenchers through the election campaign." The Coalition has called for guardrails around Artificial Intelligence after the Treasurer announced he hoped to use the technology to Labor's advantage. Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government hopes to use A-I as a weapon in Labor's second-term fight against weakening productivity. He says Australia will chart a sensible, middle path on its regulation. Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has told Nine's Today Show that caution must be taken because there are growing concerns about its impact on workers and the arts. "You know, I have concerns about artificial intelligence, and its impact on humanity and rather than adopting it holus bolus and rolling it out en mass across the country. We do need to understand the risk, particularly to our songwriters and our creative artists to make sure they're not bearing the cost. We need to protect our artists. And that means putting some regulation in place." On road testing has revealed that some of Australia's best selling electric vehicles are failing to meet their advertised standards. The Australian Automobile Association says it tested five cars using a 93 kilometre circuit of damp and dry conditions around Geelong in Victoria. The findings come one week after its Real World Testing program revealed 25 out of 30 petrol and hybrid vehicles tested had consumed more fuel than their lab results showed. At least 20 people have been killed and more than 30 injured after a truck loaded with humanitarian aid overturned into a crowd in the Gaza Strip. Local health officials also say at least 38 Palestinians have been shot by Israeli forces while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor. The Israeli military says it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. The latest killings come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. U-N Secretary-General spokesman, Farhan Haq, says the dual threat of attacks and starvation have been catastrophic. "More people are being killed and injured either along convoy routes or where they are staying. The situation is beyond catastrophic. Hospitals are overstretched. Patients are lying on the floor or in the streets, suffering, as beds, medical supplies and equipment are severely lacking. Starvation continues to happen, and today the Ministry of Health reported five new malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to about almost 200 deaths, half of whom are children."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Prime minister plays down tax reform opportunity at productivity meeting
The prime minister has talked down the prospect of major tax reform emerging from its productivity round table, less than a fortnight from the forum at which the treasurer has said nothing will be off the table. Tax policy will be a key item on the agenda at the meeting, with union bosses and welfare groups already calling for changes to the politically-fraught negative gearing and capital gains tax breaks, while business groups have separately backed the Productivity Commission's recommendations for a cut to company tax rates. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has repeatedly said he would not rule things in or out before the round table, billed as a contest of ideas as the government seeks to increase productivity and return the budget to sustainable footing. But Mr Albanese on Thursday played down the prospect of major tax reform emerging from the forum in the short-term, flagging he was focused on what the government has already announced. "The only tax policy we're implementing is the one we took to the election," he told reporters in Melbourne. "People can put forward whatever idea they want, and what you'll see is five or six ideas coming forward a day. That's a good thing ... It's not government policy, government policy is decided around a cabinet table." The comments do not rule out the prospect that new taxes could be implemented after the next election, similar to how the government introduced its proposed tax on large super accounts last term. In June the treasurer expressed his hopes for the three day summit, telling the National Press Club that "no sensible progress can be made on productivity, resilience or budget sustainability without proper consideration of more tax reform". A day before the prime minister's comments, in response to a question about negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, Mr Chalmers reiterated that he didn't want to "get in the habit of knocking off ideas before we get in the room". "I want people to feel like their contributions are valued because they are," he said. But he also noted the government has not changed its position on tax and that any policy would be decided in a "considered, methodical way" though cabinet. Mr Chalmers has said he is seeking consensus from participants, though the ABC understands there will be no joint communique at the round table's conclusion. "I don't pretend that when I stand up ... on the Thursday night of that week that we'll have solved every challenge in our economy or that we'll have fully formed, fully costed, very specific policy outcomes," he said on Wednesday. "It's not about replacing the important decision-making functions of ministers. It's about testing and teasing out the next steps which build on the substantial agenda that we're already delivering and rolling out." Labor took its plan to increase taxes on people with super balances over $3 million to the election and in the days leading up to the start of the campaign passed a "modest" tax cut for all workers. The treasurer has asked that any proposals brought to the forum — to be held at Parliament House from August 19 to 21 — must be budget-neutral or budget-positive. Liberal senator James Paterson on Wednesday said it was clear the prime minister had reigned in his treasurer. "I thought it was very pointed the other day when the prime minister said that just because this is a meeting in the cabinet room doesn't mean it's subsuming the role of the cabinet," he told Sky News. "You don't earn a mandate from a hand-picked group of small experts meeting in the cabinet room. You earn a mandate by taking policies to an election, and this government has no mandate for any tax increases."
