Final pitches for snap state election 'nobody wanted'

The Advertiser

3 days ago

A signature Liberal promise has copped a scathing assessment on the eve of Tasmania's election that is tipped to return a hung parliament.
Saturday's poll is the second in 16 months for the state, called after minority Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.
The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Both major parties have ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to form government but say they are prepared to work with "sensible independents".
Mr Rockliff on Friday spruiked Tasmania's nation-leading unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent and the experience of the Liberals' 11-years in power.
He conceded the election would be close, but said the state could not risk single-issue independents who would "put themselves above Tasmanians".
Polling suggests 20 per cent support for independents, with the Liberals on 35, Labor on 25 and the Greens on 16.
Mr Rockliff's pledge for a state-owned insurance company to bring down prices of premiums has been lashed by Labor as a thought bubble.
Treasury on Friday revealed it was unable to cost the proposal because of insufficient detail and it would likely incur additional costs for any government.
"This damning assessment proves once again that you can't trust anything that Jeremy Rockliff says," Labor MP Josh Willie said.
Management of the state's deteriorating finances has been front and centre during campaigning and a major reason for the successful no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff.
Tasmania's debt is forecast to more than double to $13 billion by 2027/28.
Labor leader Dean Winter held a barbecue with party faithful in Hobart and pressed his mantra of a fresh start, saying the Liberals had mismanaged major projects.
"Our finances are the worst in the nation," Mr Winter said.
"Health waitlists are double the size they were a decade ago, and young people are fleeing the state in record numbers."
Both leaders continue to blame each other for the snap poll, which has been dubbed the election no one really wanted.
"Poll after poll, door after door we've heard loud and clear Tasmanians overwhelmingly do not want a new stadium," Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff told reporters.
"We have been strong on this issue from the very beginning and we will be piling on the pressure in the next parliament."
The Liberals hold 14 seats in the 35-seat lower house, while Labor holds 10 and the Greens five.
More than 100,000 people have voted early - about a quarter of Tasmania's 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.
There are a record 44 independents running, with incumbents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, who voted no-confidence in Mr Rockliff, expected to return.
Anti-salmon campaigner Peter George, who gave sitting Labor MP Julie Collins a fright at the federal election, has thrown his hat in the ring.
A signature Liberal promise has copped a scathing assessment on the eve of Tasmania's election that is tipped to return a hung parliament.
Saturday's poll is the second in 16 months for the state, called after minority Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.
The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Both major parties have ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to form government but say they are prepared to work with "sensible independents".
Mr Rockliff on Friday spruiked Tasmania's nation-leading unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent and the experience of the Liberals' 11-years in power.
He conceded the election would be close, but said the state could not risk single-issue independents who would "put themselves above Tasmanians".
Polling suggests 20 per cent support for independents, with the Liberals on 35, Labor on 25 and the Greens on 16.
Mr Rockliff's pledge for a state-owned insurance company to bring down prices of premiums has been lashed by Labor as a thought bubble.
Treasury on Friday revealed it was unable to cost the proposal because of insufficient detail and it would likely incur additional costs for any government.
"This damning assessment proves once again that you can't trust anything that Jeremy Rockliff says," Labor MP Josh Willie said.
Management of the state's deteriorating finances has been front and centre during campaigning and a major reason for the successful no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff.
Tasmania's debt is forecast to more than double to $13 billion by 2027/28.
Labor leader Dean Winter held a barbecue with party faithful in Hobart and pressed his mantra of a fresh start, saying the Liberals had mismanaged major projects.
"Our finances are the worst in the nation," Mr Winter said.
"Health waitlists are double the size they were a decade ago, and young people are fleeing the state in record numbers."
Both leaders continue to blame each other for the snap poll, which has been dubbed the election no one really wanted.
"Poll after poll, door after door we've heard loud and clear Tasmanians overwhelmingly do not want a new stadium," Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff told reporters.
"We have been strong on this issue from the very beginning and we will be piling on the pressure in the next parliament."
The Liberals hold 14 seats in the 35-seat lower house, while Labor holds 10 and the Greens five.
More than 100,000 people have voted early - about a quarter of Tasmania's 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.
There are a record 44 independents running, with incumbents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, who voted no-confidence in Mr Rockliff, expected to return.
Anti-salmon campaigner Peter George, who gave sitting Labor MP Julie Collins a fright at the federal election, has thrown his hat in the ring.
A signature Liberal promise has copped a scathing assessment on the eve of Tasmania's election that is tipped to return a hung parliament.
Saturday's poll is the second in 16 months for the state, called after minority Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.
The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Both major parties have ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to form government but say they are prepared to work with "sensible independents".
Mr Rockliff on Friday spruiked Tasmania's nation-leading unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent and the experience of the Liberals' 11-years in power.
He conceded the election would be close, but said the state could not risk single-issue independents who would "put themselves above Tasmanians".
Polling suggests 20 per cent support for independents, with the Liberals on 35, Labor on 25 and the Greens on 16.
Mr Rockliff's pledge for a state-owned insurance company to bring down prices of premiums has been lashed by Labor as a thought bubble.
Treasury on Friday revealed it was unable to cost the proposal because of insufficient detail and it would likely incur additional costs for any government.
"This damning assessment proves once again that you can't trust anything that Jeremy Rockliff says," Labor MP Josh Willie said.
Management of the state's deteriorating finances has been front and centre during campaigning and a major reason for the successful no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff.
Tasmania's debt is forecast to more than double to $13 billion by 2027/28.
Labor leader Dean Winter held a barbecue with party faithful in Hobart and pressed his mantra of a fresh start, saying the Liberals had mismanaged major projects.
"Our finances are the worst in the nation," Mr Winter said.
"Health waitlists are double the size they were a decade ago, and young people are fleeing the state in record numbers."
Both leaders continue to blame each other for the snap poll, which has been dubbed the election no one really wanted.
"Poll after poll, door after door we've heard loud and clear Tasmanians overwhelmingly do not want a new stadium," Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff told reporters.
"We have been strong on this issue from the very beginning and we will be piling on the pressure in the next parliament."
The Liberals hold 14 seats in the 35-seat lower house, while Labor holds 10 and the Greens five.
More than 100,000 people have voted early - about a quarter of Tasmania's 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.
There are a record 44 independents running, with incumbents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, who voted no-confidence in Mr Rockliff, expected to return.
Anti-salmon campaigner Peter George, who gave sitting Labor MP Julie Collins a fright at the federal election, has thrown his hat in the ring.
A signature Liberal promise has copped a scathing assessment on the eve of Tasmania's election that is tipped to return a hung parliament.
Saturday's poll is the second in 16 months for the state, called after minority Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a parliamentary no-confidence motion in June.
The latest opinion survey suggests the Liberals will pick up more seats than Labor but neither will reach the 18-seat mark required for majority.
Both major parties have ruled out doing a deal with the Greens to form government but say they are prepared to work with "sensible independents".
Mr Rockliff on Friday spruiked Tasmania's nation-leading unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent and the experience of the Liberals' 11-years in power.
He conceded the election would be close, but said the state could not risk single-issue independents who would "put themselves above Tasmanians".
Polling suggests 20 per cent support for independents, with the Liberals on 35, Labor on 25 and the Greens on 16.
Mr Rockliff's pledge for a state-owned insurance company to bring down prices of premiums has been lashed by Labor as a thought bubble.
Treasury on Friday revealed it was unable to cost the proposal because of insufficient detail and it would likely incur additional costs for any government.
"This damning assessment proves once again that you can't trust anything that Jeremy Rockliff says," Labor MP Josh Willie said.
Management of the state's deteriorating finances has been front and centre during campaigning and a major reason for the successful no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff.
Tasmania's debt is forecast to more than double to $13 billion by 2027/28.
Labor leader Dean Winter held a barbecue with party faithful in Hobart and pressed his mantra of a fresh start, saying the Liberals had mismanaged major projects.
"Our finances are the worst in the nation," Mr Winter said.
"Health waitlists are double the size they were a decade ago, and young people are fleeing the state in record numbers."
Both leaders continue to blame each other for the snap poll, which has been dubbed the election no one really wanted.
"Poll after poll, door after door we've heard loud and clear Tasmanians overwhelmingly do not want a new stadium," Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff told reporters.
"We have been strong on this issue from the very beginning and we will be piling on the pressure in the next parliament."
The Liberals hold 14 seats in the 35-seat lower house, while Labor holds 10 and the Greens five.
More than 100,000 people have voted early - about a quarter of Tasmania's 412,000 enrolled voters and an increase of 30,000 from the same point in the last campaign.
There are a record 44 independents running, with incumbents Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland, who voted no-confidence in Mr Rockliff, expected to return.
Anti-salmon campaigner Peter George, who gave sitting Labor MP Julie Collins a fright at the federal election, has thrown his hat in the ring.