Premier stands by stadium as early state election looms
A defiant Jeremy Rockliff has vowed to fight and win an early Tasmanian election, after political brinkmanship with Opposition Leader Dean Winter spiralled in parliament and produced a shock snap poll.
It's not yet clear when the election will fall, with Mr Rockliff seeking to convene parliament next week to pass an emergency budget bill.
Also caught up in the chaos is the billion-dollar Hobart waterfront stadium, and by extension the Tasmania Devils AFL team.
After two days of lengthy debate, Mr Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday, which by convention demands his resignation.
Before the vote, he told Mr Winter, the Labor leader, that should the vote succeed, he would seek an election - just 15 months after the last state poll.
"Be that on Mr Winter's head. This has been a selfish grab for power," he said on Thursday morning.
Pointing to last month's budget - which forecast big deficits and ballooning debt beyond $10 billion - Mr Winter chose to stand behind his motion, unmoved by either public advocacy or behind-closed-doors efforts to talk him down.
"Tasmanians were aghast at the state of the budget," Mr Winter said.
"I can't stand by and let this premier ruin this state and so Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up."
The vote passed 18-17, with Labor, the Greens and three independents backing the motion, including a casting vote by Labor veteran Michelle O'Byrne as speaker.
Shell-shocked, Mr Rockliff then took the floor to deliver an emotion-laden speech.
"This is a very sad day for Tasmania," he said.
"It's a sad day because I put a lot of line, a lot on the line, for this parliament."
He said he fought off internal opponents to both stand by the stadium, and to get electoral reform over the line.
"I've been advised by all the hard-heads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it's bad for votes," he said.
"Well, I've always said 'stuff votes'.
"I've said it when I moved for the 35-seat house of parliament, and I'll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live, because I believe in it."
He apologised for the botched rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries and acknowledged economic challenges - but said he was up for the fight.
"And you might get rid of me, mate," he said, directly to Mr Winter, "but I tell you what, they're coming for you as well, because you will always be known as a wrecker."
While there will be plenty of time for campaigning in the upcoming poll, the dominant reaction among Tasmanians appears to be shock.
Among those flabbergasted by the sharp escalation of politicking was former premier Will Hodgman.
"An implausibly stupid decision on so many levels," the two-time election winner posted on social media.
"Politically reckless, and seriously damaging to Tasmania's reputation."
Brad Stansfield, a member of Mr Hodgman's staff and long-term Liberal campaigner, who now runs a PR company, said the political environment would be toxic for Mr Rockliff.
"If we do end up at the point where there is an election, just to be brutally frank, the Liberals would be annihilated," he told the FontCast.
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