Jeremy Rockliff returns as Premier of Tasmania after no confidence motion sparks election

News.com.au

4 days ago

Jeremy Rockliff will return as Premier of Tasmania, more than two weeks after voters were sent to the polls in a snap election.
Tasmanian Governor Barbara Baker returned Mr Rockliff as leader on Wednesday, after he was forced to send the state back to the polls following a vote of no confidence.
The Liberal leader will be forced to work with a hung parliament, with July's election giving no majority to either major party.
The Liberals won 14 seats, Labor won 10, and there is a crossbench of 11 MPs, including five Greens.
The result left both major parties short of the 18 seats needed for a majority, and neither has been able to form a government with the support of the crossbench.
On Wednesday, Mr Rockliff travelled to see the state's governor to seek reappointment to his post.
In granting him the leadership, Ms Baker said it was Mr Rockliff's constitutional right to try and lead where no party had been able to form a majority with the help of the crossbench.
'The appointment of the Premier, whilst a reserve power, is restricted by constitutional convention,' she said.
'In a hung parliament, where no one clearly holds the confidence of the majority of the House of Assembly, the incumbent has the right to remain in office in order to test the numbers in the House of Assembly and for parliament to have the final say in who should be Premier.
'I consider the convention of incumbency applies in the current circumstances. I shall reappoint the Premier.
'It is better for confidence to be determined inside and not outside the parliament.
'This will be done promptly, as the Premier will face the parliament when it is recalled on Tuesday 19 August 2025.'
The snap election followed a dramatic no-confidence motion in June that ended Mr Rockliff's previous term, returning Tasmanians to the polls for the second time in 16 months.
Labor leader Dean Winter claimed the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania vessels, the state of the budget and the controversial Macquarie Point Stadium project were examples of Mr Rockliff's failed leadership.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Rockliff confirmed he had no formal support agreement with any member of the cross bench, but said he believed he would be able to govern in the minority parliament.
The Premier has previously indicated he was prepared to govern in minority without formal confidence-and-supply agreements.
He refused to be drawn on whether he would survive a second no confidence motion if one was brought when parliament returned, with Mr Winter refusing to rule out another attempt.
'I believe that we can govern very sensibly in minority when it comes to working with the crossbench,' he said.
'I've had very good engagement with individual members of the crossbench over the last few weeks. I'm very pleased with that in terms of ideas put forward. We put forward a stability agreement in draft form to be co-developed by other members of parliament, and I'm pleased we've had constructive … and positive engagement to strengthen how parliament will work into the future.'
Mr Rockliff warned against any new no confidence motions, declaring his Premiership 'must go a full term, because the Tasmanian people expect it to go a full term'.
'I would call for, you know, responsibility,' he said.
'The Labor Opposition has 10 seats. They received their lowest vote in an election for over 120 years.
That being said, I would expect that all members of parliament work together and Mr Winter, of course, needs the support of the Tasmanian Greens, and three other Independents (to form government).
'(The) support of the Tasmanian Greens would be a deal. And Mr Winter promised not to do a deal with the Greens.'