Latest news with #JeremyRockliff
The Age
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
AFL Commission to discuss Devils licence amid delay fears, political chaos
The AFL Commission will meet next week to consider the repercussions for the Tasmania Devils of Thursday's no-confidence vote against Premier Jeremy Rockliff, which set the island state on course for a snap election and left the league's 19th team in peril. On another day of upheaval in Tasmanian parliament, the vote was tied and the Labor speaker used her casting vote to pass the no-confidence motion. This cast fresh doubt on the state's commitment to the proposed Macquarie Point stadium, which the AFL insists must go ahead for the Devils to enter the league in 2028. Devils chief executive Brendon Gale admitted last month his staff would be 'out of a job', if the stadium plans did not pass through Tasmanian parliament. The future of the Devils is expected to be thrust onto the agenda of Tuesday's planned commission meeting before the Australian Football Hall of Fame dinner. Earlier this year, the 18 AFL clubs successfully negotiated with AFL boss Andrew Dillon the right to a second vote on the Devils' licence, if any aspects of the Macquarie Point Stadium changed. Rockliff is set to call his second election in 16 months, which Tasmanian officials fear will at the very least delay construction. In an interview with this masthead in April, Rockliff said he hoped legislation for the stadium would pass through both houses of parliament by July and construction would begin before Christmas. That now appears unlikely.
Epoch Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Tasmanian Premier Ousted After No Confidence Vote Passes
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has lost the support of the state's lower house after MPs backed a no-confidence motion, triggering a political crisis that could lead to a snap election. The motion, tabled by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, passed by 18 votes to 17 after a two-day debate involving all 35 members.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Would rip the heart out of the state': ‘Brutal reality' of Tasmania's $1 billion AFL saga
The blowtorch has turned on the AFL over its handling of the Tasmanian stadium saga, with fears the expansion team's entry into the league may be delayed or cancelled for good. The future of the AFL's 19th team is in serious doubt after a no-confidence motion against Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff was passed amid debate over the new stadium proposed to be built in Hobart. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Thursday's no-confidence motion means Tasmanians are set to return to the polls, with an election date yet to be determined. The move comes after ongoing allegations the Rockliff Government has mismanaged the Apple Isle's budget and bungled key infrastructure projects, including the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium — the venue the Devils hope to call home when they enter the AFL in 2028. Rockliff has been one of the emerging football club's strongest supporters — even in a climate where there has been widespread anger towards the planned $1 billion stadium. Tasmania's parliament was due to vote within the next six weeks on special legislation designed to grant planning approval, but an election could derail the stadium plans. Debate has erupted this week over whether the new stadium needs a roof or whether Hobart needs a new stadium on top of the existing Bellerive Oval. Others have highlighted the fact AFL games have been held this year in Darwin, Ballarat and Alice Springs at venues that don't exactly boast the modern day infrastructure the Tasmanian franchise is being asked to deliver. Premiership winning Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe, a proud Tasmanian, has warned that pulling the rug out from the Tasmanians and cruelling hopes of an AFL team would permanently scar the state. 'It will rip the heart out of the state if it doesn't go forward,' Howe told Triple M's Rush Hour with JB & Billy on Thursday. 'The carrot has been there dangling for decades, and then all of a sudden, it's within reaching distance and everyone's become attached to it. 'Everyone's talking about it, there's a genuine excitement about it. If it doesn't get done, I fear for what the state might look like.' 'Tasmania needs the AFL more than the AFL needs Tasmania' It has long been expected Tasmania and then a Northern Territory team will complete the AFL as a 20-team competition, but the league's expansion is in serious doubt now. The stadium saga has exposed an uncomfortable truth for Tassie fans — the Devils have been given a much higher bar for entry into the AFL than the GWS Giants and the Gold Coast Suns, who joined the league in the early 2010s. Seven's AFL reporter Mitch Cleary wrote on X: 'The brutal reality is that the AFL was desperate to introduce the Giants and Suns to grow the game into NSW/QLD so they were always going to have a lower bar for entry. 'Tasmania needs the AFL more than the AFL needs Tasmania. So the deal was always going to be tougher to secure.' For what it's worth, this season GWS has an average home crowd of 11,715, while the average attendance for Gold Coast Suns home games is 13,625 — with MCG and SCG matches bolstering the league's attendance figures. Aussie Rules has a rich history in Tasmania, with countless legendary players including Jack Riewoldt and Matthew Richardson growing up in the island state before getting drafted to the AFL. Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan spent his entire playing career in Tasmania before going on to become the first AFL premiership winning coach who hasn't played V/AFL football. Launceston's UTAS Stadium hosted two elimination finals during the Covid-affected 2021 season. The political uncertainty in Tasmania means the Devils' future is in doubt and the timeline of the team's entry into the AFL The new 23,000-seat stadium, was supposed to be built in time for the 2029 AFL season, with the hope it would host cricket matches and other entertainment events. 'The stadium, everything, has been thrown into chaos,' Cleary said on Seven. Nick Riewoldt added: ''90 percent of the (Tasmanian) people I speak to or hear from, want the stadium. I think Tasmanian's are united in their desire for a stadium and a team. 'This (the no-confidence motion) is a really risky move. Either we come through with a clear mandate, which will push it through, or the whole thing blows up. It's on a knife's edge.' 'Incredibly frustrating, I hope Dean Winter has got a plan.' Labor opposition leader Dean Winter said he supported the AFL team and the stadium, but the state had other priorities as well. 'We support the Tasmanian Devils and the AFL team that Tasmanians have dreamed of forever,' Winter said. 'But I've got to say that I've got a lot of very high priorities around health and education. 'Yes, we absolutely support getting this team, but Tasmanians, when I talk to them, they talk about cost of living, they talk about education, they talk about the future for our young people. 'I'm not prepared to stand idly by and let this Liberal government led by Jeremy Rockliff ruin this state.' Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam has told ABC News he is 'angry' with no-confidence vote in Rockliff and the decision to head back to the polls. 'Thirty-five members of the Tasmanian government in their collective wisdom to not find a way to not send Tasmanians back to an election just baffles me,' he said on Friday morning. 'No stadium, no team' Devils CEO Brendon Gale has said the 'no stadium, no team' condition for Tasmania's AFL entry remains crucial, stressing Hobart and Launceston's major venues are still 'not fit' to 'underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis'. When asked on Fox Footy's AFL 360 if the 'no team, no stadium' policy to introduce Tassie was 'too ambitious' and that 'too many stumbling blocks' had been placed in front of the key stakeholders. Gale said: 'No, I just think it's been a difficult concept to explain (why we can't play at existing venues). 'Firstly, there's no good time to build a stadium around the world. They're always big and they're expensive, and there's always a whole range of other priorities … Whether it's Adelaide or Perth Stadium, they're difficult to get through and get popular support. 'I guess that's compounded by the fact that people in Tasmania think: 'Well, we've got two perfectly good stadiums in Hobart and Launceston, why can't we just have those?' And they're reasonable stadiums and they've been fit for purpose. But they're not fit for the purpose of providing sustainable commercial business model to underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis.'
ABC News
9 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
No-confidence motion passed on Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff. What next?
If you've missed the past few days, Tasmania could be headed for a fourth election in just seven years, after a successful no-confidence motion in Premier Jeremy Rockliff passed on Thursday. The motion — put forward by Labor, passed 18 to 17 — after about 10 hours of debate over two days, where all 35 lower house MPs spoke. It had the backing of the Greens, as well as crossbenchers Andrew Jenner, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland. The path forward for Tasmania is unclear … and a lot of questions remain. Yes. Mr Rockliff has stared down this motion as well as calls for him to hand over the leadership reins to one of his colleagues. He's determined to leave his fate in the hands of Tasmanians, not the parliament. Not definitely, but probably. The premier says he will be asking Governor Barbara Baker (who's taken a very poorly timed holiday but will be back soon) to dissolve the parliament. Given we're just 15 months into the parliament, Governor Baker could first ask Labor's Dean Winter to see if he can form government — but he's ruled out doing so with the support of the Greens, which he would need in order to get to 18 seats. She also might check if there's another Liberal MP who could command the support of the parliament. At this stage though, none of them have the will (or maybe the numbers in the party room) to roll their leader. The earliest an election could be held is July 19. There needs to be at least 33 days between when the parliament is dissolved and polling day. Parliament could be dissolved on Tuesday, after the premier requests for the appropriation bills to be passed that will provide the government with the funds to pay the bills. Tasmania's AFL club is in serious danger of never taking to the field. In recent days, club leaders have been voicing concerns about the impact of an early election, because it would push out the timelines for the construction of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium. A vote was due in the parliament on whether to approve the stadium in coming months. The stadium is a condition of the state's deal for the 19th AFL licence, but there's the potential it may not survive an election if it's seen as too politically toxic by either of the major parties. It's also possible a swathe of anti-stadium MPs could also be voted to the parliament, if an election is called, and end its chances. Club presidents watching from afar haven't been impressed either. Labor leader Dean Winter says he moved the no-confidence motion as he couldn't "stand idly by" and let the state's debt mount. Tasmania's debt will hit $5.2 billion this year, and is due to more than double by 2029. It wasn't clear when that debt would stop growing either. The treasurer's plan to get the budget back in black included slimming the public service and potentially selling public assets, both options opposed by the opposition. Labor's no-confidence motion also listed the government's failure to deliver major infrastructure projects, namely the Spirit of Tasmania vessel replacement debacle. That project saw new ferries purchased without the necessary berth for them to dock at Devonport, meaning they can't be used for some years. The state budget handed down by Treasurer Guy Barnett last week hasn't been passed by the parliament yet. There are some provisions in the Financial Management Act that allow for the money to continue flowing, but they only allow for about two months. It won't be a full budget but will ensure critical services can continue and public servants like park rangers, nurses, and court staff can continue to be paid. Given the uncertainty over the situation … the premier has sought approval from the lieutenant-governor, who is acting in Governor Baker's absence, for the parliament to return on Tuesday, and for a bill to be passed that will allow the money to keep flowing. The opposition has also agreed to this and will support that bill. Tasmania is gaining a reputation for instability, and an election after just 15 months is unheard of in modern times. But it's nothing compared to some of the short-lived parliaments and governments of the past. Election analyst Kevin Bonham said this would be the second shortest parliament, after one elected in 1912, which lasted just 14 months. Meanwhile, in 1909, the Labour government lasted a week. As an extra kick in the guts to those who think MPs have been a rabble this week … politicians are now likely to get a $30,000 pay rise. Tasmania's Industrial Commission recommended a 22.36 per cent pay rise to the base rate of about $140,000, which has been frozen since 2018. It says that's in line with inflation and the wage rises. It could have been disallowed by a vote of both parliamentary houses, and on Tuesday the premier said he would move to block it. That now appears unlikely, unless it can somehow be added to Tuesday's order of business. It might help fund some campaigns!
ABC News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
'It's not our choice': Greens say it's Labor and Liberals fault the state could face an election
Rosalie Woodruff Well, we didn't take this lightly. It's a serious matter, but we believe that people in positions of leadership have to be held accountable. And Jeremy Rockliff has been dishonest. He has misled Tasmanians and broken promises. Leon Compton Do you want this to go to an election? Rosalie Woodruff We did support the Labor's motion and we will work with the Labor Party and we will do everything we can to work in good faith in the best interests of Tasmanians. There are choices here. And the Liberal and Labor parties have choices at this point. They have choices to make about forming another government. And so it is at the moment in their hands to make those choices. We are ready to work in the best interests of Tasmanians and I've made that clear in Parliament to Dean Winter. Leon Compton Do you want the state to go to another election? Rosalie Woodruff Well, this is where we are because of the actions of the Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff. This is because of his dishonesty, his broken promises and his ramming stadium legislation through. It's not our choice. He had choices, but here we are. And so we will work and do everything we can to make sure there's a possibility of not going back to an election.
