Latest news with #BridgetArcher
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- 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".
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Message of inspiration': state election buoys Liberals
Federal Liberals should take heart from Tasmania's election result, its deputy leader says, despite another hung parliament in the state looming. Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff claimed victory at the election on Saturday, with his party securing 14 seats compared to Labor's nine. But both major parties have fallen short of the 18 needed for a majority, with negotiations set to begin on forming a minority government. Party members should be hopeful about the future of the federal division, despite its election wipeout in May, Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien said. "There's clearly a difference between federal and state elections, but those who think the Liberal Party is on its knees and nearly dead, I think you can only just look at the Tasmanian election," he told Sky News on Sunday. "We are rebuilding, and so, if anything, it really should be a message of inspiration to Liberals right across the country. "Hopefully sanity will prevail. I don't think Tasmania deserves yet more uncertainty over the weeks ahead." Saturday's election was the fourth time in seven years voters in the state have headed to the polls. Former federal Liberal MPs who were defeated at May's federal election have been voted into the state's lower house, including Bridget Archer and Gavin Pearce. Tasmanian Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam said there were many reasons why the party did not perform at the federal election but had the largest vote share at the state poll just two months later. "We ran a bad (federal) campaign. We didn't run a campaign relevant to Tasmania. We weren't speaking to their issues," he told ABC's Insiders program. "Politics is local, and never has that been more true than in a place like Tasmania. They own their politicians, they own their issues. They want Tasmanian solutions." While Liberal and Labor parties in Tasmania were in negotiations with the crossbench to form minority government, Senator Duniam said there was not a conceivable path for Labor to get into power. "It would be an unimaginable disaster for there to be a Labor party that's gone backward in the polls to join up with the Greens and a range of crossbenchers who have all very disparate views about the future of our state," he said. "It would send us backward, and we'd be back at the polls in no time." Labor experienced its worst-ever result at a state election, receiving just 26 per cent of the primary vote. Labor frontbencher Michelle Rowland said time was needed to work out the results in the state. She said the result was likely Tasmanians backing the status quo. "There is something to be said about the desire for stability, I think, by all voters," she told Sky News. "This has a bit of a way to go in terms of the count and in terms of who may be in a position to form what looks like minority government."
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Stadium, ships and stability — parties make first pitch in Tasmanian election nobody wanted
Following a week of political mudslinging, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter say they will attempt to project a "positive" image for the state in the freshly-started election campaign. On the first day of the campaign yesterday, both major parties started making pitches to voters ahead of the July 19 election. Mr Rockliff appeared on Thursday alongside his Bass candidates at Legana, an outer suburb of Launceston. The Liberals have only one change to the seven candidates who ran at the last election, with former federal Bass MP Bridget Archer now running. Spending much of last week attacking Mr Winter by calling him a "wrecker", Mr Rockliff started the campaign taking a different tack. "I'll be focusing in a positive frame of mind," he said. Standing next to the new Legana Primary School, Mr Rockliff said the Liberals were also building new roads and updating hospitals. "We will be making new announcements which I'll be working [through] with our candidates and with our community and have a very clear plan for Tasmania." The Liberals are expected to announce former Braddon MP Gavin Pearce and former senator Stephen Parry as candidates for Braddon today. The election followed a successful no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff, moved by Mr Winter last week. The no-confidence motion focused on the state's budgetary position, potential privatisation of state-owned companies, and the bungled rollout of new Spirit of Tasmania vessels. On the first day of the campaign, Mr Winter honed in on the Spirits saga. "Who could possibly believe that you could have a premier of this state who was buying a billion dollars' worth of new ships, and then forgot to build a berth for them to actually operate from? "It's something from a comedy act." Mr Rockliff said the government had been accountable — the Spirits' rollout led to former infrastructure minister Michael Ferguson resigning from the cabinet. Labor went to the last election under previous leader Rebecca White, who has since won the federal seat of Lyons. It means the party is expected to have a range of new policies under Mr Winter, which he had originally intended to release in the second half of the year. Mr Winter said he wanted Tasmania to be "a place where things actually get done". "I want rents to stop going up by so much. "I want this to be a place where hospitals are actually accessible, where you can go to school and get an education in Tasmania that's just as good as the mainland." The Tasmanian Greens appeared outside the historic Goods Shed at Macquarie Point, which is slated to be relocated as part of plans for a proposed stadium. The Greens oppose any new stadium in Hobart, contrary to the positions of the Liberals and Labor. Polling in February by EMRS — which is owned by Font PR, a firm with Liberal links — showed 59 per cent oppose the stadium while 36 per cent support it. Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the election was an opportunity for those opposed to the stadium to make their voices heard. "Whether it's a referendum or not, we know people in their droves will be voting against any party or individual who supports that stadium," she said. "Both Jeremy Rockliff's Liberals and Dean Winter's Labor have shown they are incapable of shifting their views despite poll after poll after poll showing Tasmanians hate a stadium. "What will it take? What it will take — we've found now — is an election."
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Candidates coming forward ahead of Tasmania's July 19 state election
As Tasmania prepares for its snap election, candidates across the state are already putting their hands up to be part of the 52nd parliament. Despite the short amount of time they have had to find candidates, the Liberals are coming in with some heavyweights. The ABC understands Gavin Pearce, who chose not to recontest his federal seat of Braddon, will join a stacked-up state ticket in Premier Jeremy Rockliff's own state electorate of Braddon. Former Liberal Party senator Stephen Parry, who just failed in his bid to win the Legislative Council seat of Montgomery, will also be on the ticket. The party did not even wait for an election to be called when it announced former federal MP Bridget Archer, who was kicked out of office last month, was going to run for Bass. But they could not convince Susie Bower, who failed to win the seat of Lyons in the federal election, to jump straight back in the ring. There are also a fair few people popping their hands up who ran in the 2024 state election. Names like Burnie Deputy Mayor Giovanna Simpson (Braddon), Sandy Bay butcher Marcus Vermey (Clark) and vaccine sceptic Julie Sladden (Bass). The premier also confirmed this morning that all sitting Liberal MPs will be recontesting. Aside from Heidi Heck, Labor can not pull from any of the federal candidates who ran in the last election because they are all sitting in Canberra. Ms Heck has confirmed to the ABC she will not be running. However, former federal Lyons MP Brian Mitchell has confirmed he will be seeking preselection. Mr Mitchell stood aside for former state leader Rebecca White to run in the federal election, where she managed to increase his margin from 0.9 per cent to 11.6 per cent. But her absence will likely hurt the state party. In the 2024 Tasmanian election, Ms White won a whopping 15,607 first preference votes, helping to elect Jen Butler. The party has also lost long-serving Bass MP Michelle O'Byrne. Labor has yet to officially reveal any of its candidates, but it is understood all sitting members will recontest. The name of former Salmon Tasmania chief executive officer, now Labor advisor, Luke Martin has been bandied about for Clark, but that preselection has yet to be confirmed. Unions Tas secretary Jess Munday has been widely tipped to run for Labor in Franklin. The Greens' five candidates will all recontest. Meanwhile, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie will have no presence this time around. She cut off two of her team, Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland, early on in the term. The last standing Jacqui Lambie Network member, Andrew Jenner, announced just last week he had split from the JLN. Mr Jenner and Ms Pentland will run as independents. It is understood Ms Beswick is intending to run again; the question is, under which banner? It seems she is taking her time to consider whether to run as an independent or seek preselection with the Nationals. The party, which is opposed to the stadium, has just put out a call for candidates. Former Liberal MP John Tucker has confirmed he will be putting up his hand. Then there are a whole bunch of familiar independents, including incumbents David O'Byrne, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland. Fresh off their failed federal election bids and keen to give life in politics another go are people like anti-salmon campaigner Peter George and independent Lyons candidate Angela Offord. Michelle Dracoulis, who briefly put her hand up for Labor last state election, will also run as an independent. Despite registering her own party, Senator Tammy Tyrrell will not be running any candidates. One Nation, which is not registered to contest a state election, will be nowhere to be seen. Given the election campaign is in its very early days, there will be many more candidates to come forward.
SBS Australia
09-06-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 9 June 2025
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English, I'm Camille Bianchi. +++ 830 Australians have been recognised as part of the King's Birthday Honours. Former Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, is one of 14 people named as a Companion of the Order of Australia. The title has been offered to every Prime Minister since 1975. Mr Morrison says he is proud. "I am very humbled by the recognition and thankful to the Australian people who gave me the opportunity to serve as Prime Minister during one of the most difficult periods in Australia's history. Everything from natural disasters to the COVID-19 pandemic, the recession it caused. The threats we faced in the Indo-Pacific and the assertions and coercions of China - and our response to that. But through all of that, the Australian people were absolutely amazing." A former federal politician who lost her seat at the recent election, says she wants to move into Tasmanian state parliament. Last week, Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff lost his job, when other politicians voted against his leadership - and now there will be a sudden election. Former Liberal M-P Bridget Archer wants to be chosen to represent a seat in the Bass electorate. "I'm not going to be anybody's stooge or anybody's puppet." "Bridget is a fighter. Bridget, understands the importance of being part of Team Tasmania." Today is SBS 50th birthday. The national public broadcaster started in 1975 as an experiment to share information about a national health care program, to Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds. Today, SBS broadcasts in 63 languages. NITV began in 2012 - a channel made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Managing Director of SBS, James Taylor, says there is a lot to celebrate. "We've got the highest volumes of multilingual content than ever before in our history. And in 60 languages. We're also being acknowledged across a number of other fronts. We've got the Australian streaming platform through SBS On Demand, and we are the podcaster of the year, three years in a row. These are all things to really be celebrated. We're a public good, we are in part funded by the public, and it's really important for us to be delivering more and more value each year to Australians." In Tennis, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has defeated Jannik Sinner in the French Open final. This is his fifth Grand Slam trophy. Alcaraz said kind words about his rival, Sinner, who had wanted to win his third major tennis trophy. "Honestly, I know how hard you're chasing this tournament or every tournament. I'm pretty sure you're going to be champion not once but many, many times. It's a privilege to share the court with you in every tournament, making history with you." That's the latest SBS News in Easy English.
