3 days ago
Tasmanians left in limbo until week's end as governor considers election request
Tasmanians could have to wait until the end of the week to find out if the state is off to another election.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff met with the state's governor, Barbarba Baker, at Government House on Tuesday evening to request an election after suffering defeat in a no-confidence motion.
But a statement released by Government House shortly after the meeting said the governor needed more time.
"Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options," the statement reads.
By the end of the week the Premier will meet with Her Excellency again.
Further statements will be made in due course."
Mr Rockliff also released a brief statement.
"I respect the need for Her Excellency to take the appropriate time to consider important matters of state," it reads.
"I remain committed to serving the people of Tasmania."
Two alternative options to an election emerged during the week after the no-confidence motion.
Mr Rockliff could have been replaced by another Liberal leader who could then seek the confidence of parliament, but this option was repeatedly knocked back by Mr Rockliff and members of the partyroom.
The other option was for Labor leader Dean Winter to attempt to form minority government, which would require the support of the Greens, but he also rejected this.
Parliament was recalled on Tuesday to pass emergency budget supply bills to ensure public servants get paid during and after an election campaign.
This was delayed, after an "8" instead of a "6" was written in a funding line — inadvertently adding $2 million to the budget — and had to be rectified after already passing the lower house.
Tasmania has been in a pseudo-election campaign since last week.
On Sunday, Mr Rockliff held a press conference to announce recently ousted federal Bass MP Bridget Archer would be seeking preselection for the party.
"Dean Winter has forced an election upon Tasmanians," he said at the time.
"I did not want an election.
Mr Winter also held multiple press conferences on the weekend alongside various union leaders.
Labor put the blame back on Mr Rockliff.
"Jeremy Rockliff thinks he can put Tasmania through another election because his position in the government is more important than the government continuing without him," Labor's Josh Willie said on Sunday.
The Liberals have been in power in Tasmania since 2014 starting with a two-seat majority, which reduced to one seat in 2018, stayed at one seat after the 2021 election, and then was in minority before and after the March 2024 election.
The party had 14 out of 35 lower house seats, and Mr Rockliff was governing with supply and confidence deals with crossbenchers.
He had already survived two no-confidence motions from the Greens, before Labor moved its own motion last week, gaining 18 out of 35 votes to turf Mr Rockliff.
In the week since the no-confidence motion passed, the major parties have given some indication of how an election campaign would pan out — if there is, indeed, an election.
Mr Rockliff and the Liberals have heavily attacked Mr Winter as a "wrecker", potentially pitching it as a popularity contest between Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter as individual leaders.
Labor's no-confidence motion included the bungled rollout of the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels, a deteriorating budget position and potential privatisation of state-owned companies — which Mr Rockliff has now ruled out.
Mr Winter has continued to slam Mr Rockliff on each of these topics — and blamed him for losing confidence of parliament.
The Tasmanian Greens extended an olive branch to Labor several times to try to form minority government, but this was rejected.
The Greens are the only one of the three parties that oppose the Macquarie Point stadium, which has polled poorly — particularly in Bass and Braddon — in recent EMRS polling.
