Latest news with #JessTeesdale
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ousted rebel Lib plots surprise return
Ousted rebel MP Bridget Archer has confirmed she will be making a state tilt, with under-pressure Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff backing her for preselection. The announcement comes as Mr Rockliff is expected to call an election within days after the state Labor government, led by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, passed a no-confidence motion in parliament. Mr Rockliff said Ms Archer has 'put her hand up for preselection' for one of the seven state seats of Bass, with the Liberals currently holding three of the electorates. The political comeback comes just weeks after the former Liberal MP for Bass lost her seat to first-time candidate and former basketball coach Jess Teesdale, suffering a 9.4 per cent swing against the Liberal Party. Ms Archer acknowledged the Liberals 'bruising federal election loss', and said she was 'absolutely appalled' by Mr Winter's state parliament 'shenanigans'. '(It's) an utterly disgraceful display of self interest and a grab for power with no credible alternative in place, either, no credible alternative pathway for Tasmania going forward,' she told reporters. 'He has refused to make the parliament work. He declined the opportunity to make this parliament work.' During her six-year stint in federal parliament, Ms Archer earned a reputation for crossing the floor on issues like the social media ban for children under 16s, despite bipartisan support from the Coalition. Asked if she would still cross the floor on issues she feels strongly about, Ms Archer said the hoped she 'would not need to' but admitted that she was 'a strong voice'. 'I am the same person that I have always been. I'm not likely to sit quietly and not have my say,' she said. 'Do I want to go out and fight another election? No, I don't, because also I suspect the people of Tasmania don't want to be going to another election. 'But the reckless and selfish actions of Dean winter and his grab for power have sent us to this situation.' Mr Rockliff also reiterated comments that Mr Winters has 'forced' an election on Tasmanians, just 16 months after the most recent state election, and the fourth state poll in just seven years. While Mr Rockliff could prevent a snap poll if he resigns, he claimed Mr Winter has 'forced an election upon Tasmanians'. While parliament will resume on Tuesday to pass critical supply bills 'I did not want an election. I wanted the parliament to continue in a sensible way, it has been working well by any objective analysis,' he said. 'This is a parliament that was elected back in March 2024 and a parliament that has largely been working well, all but for Dean winters, selfish grab for power.' Federal Tasmanian senator Jonno Duniam has urged the state leadership to have a 'good, long think' over the potential for a sudden election. 'Unless my colleagues are 100 per cent certain that the voters of Tasmania are not going to punish them for sending them to an early election, they should be taking whatever steps are necessary,' he said. 'Going to an election will be a bad outcome.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff backs ousted federal MP Bridget Archer's political comeback
Ousted rebel MP Bridget Archer has confirmed she will be making a state tilt, with under-pressure Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff backing her for preselection. The announcement comes as Mr Rockliff is expected to call an election within days after the state Labor government, led by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, passed a no-confidence motion in parliament. Mr Rockliff said Ms Archer has 'put her hand up for preselection' for one of the seven state seats of Bass, with the Liberals currently holding three of the electorates. The political comeback comes just weeks after the former Liberal MP for Bass lost her seat to first-time candidate and former basketball coach Jess Teesdale, suffering a 9.4 per cent swing against the Liberal Party. Ms Archer acknowledged the Liberals 'bruising federal election loss', and said she was 'absolutely appalled' by Mr Winter's state parliament 'shenanigans'. '(It's) an utterly disgraceful display of self interest and a grab for power with no credible alternative in place, either, no credible alternative pathway for Tasmania going forward,' she told reporters. 'He has refused to make the parliament work. He declined the opportunity to make this parliament work.' During her six-year stint in federal parliament, Ms Archer earned a reputation for crossing the floor on issues like the social media ban for children under 16s, despite bipartisan support from the Coalition. Asked if she would still cross the floor on issues she feels strongly about, Ms Archer said the hoped she 'would not need to' but admitted that she was 'a strong voice'. 'I am the same person that I have always been. I'm not likely to sit quietly and not have my say,' she said. 'Do I want to go out and fight another election? No, I don't, because also I suspect the people of Tasmania don't want to be going to another election. 'But the reckless and selfish actions of Dean winter and his grab for power have sent us to this situation.' Mr Rockliff also reiterated comments that Mr Winters has 'forced' an election on Tasmanians, just 16 months after the most recent state election, and the fourth state poll in just seven years. While Mr Rockliff could prevent a snap poll if he resigns, he claimed Mr Winter has 'forced an election upon Tasmanians'. While parliament will resume on Tuesday to pass critical supply bills 'I did not want an election. I wanted the parliament to continue in a sensible way, it has been working well by any objective analysis,' he said. 'This is a parliament that was elected back in March 2024 and a parliament that has largely been working well, all but for Dean winters, selfish grab for power.' Federal Tasmanian senator Jonno Duniam has urged the state leadership to have a 'good, long think' over the potential for a sudden election. 'Unless my colleagues are 100 per cent certain that the voters of Tasmania are not going to punish them for sending them to an early election, they should be taking whatever steps are necessary,' he said. 'Going to an election will be a bad outcome.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Bridget Archer puts her hand up to run for Tasmanian Liberals in Bass, despite election yet to be called
One month after losing the federal seat of Bass for the Liberals, Bridget Archer will attempt an immediate return to politics. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has confirmed she will seek preselection to run as a candidate for the state seat of Bass, despite a state election yet to be called. Mr Rockliff intends to ask on Tuesday for an election, after the state's lower house passed a no-confidence motion in him last week. It would be Tasmania's fourth election in seven years. At the federal election, Ms Archer suffered a 9.4 per cent swing against her to Labor's Jess Teesdale — a relatively unknown candidate who was preselected at the last minute — and lost the seat by 8 per cent two party preferred. Ms Archer — a moderate Liberal who crossed the floor multiple times during her time in federal parliament — said the events of the past week had driven her to put her hand up. "I have just come off the back of a federal election which was a little bit bruising, I think it's fair to say," Ms Archer said. "And I don't think I have really quite had enough time to process that. "But I think like many Tasmanians, I have spent the last few days absolutely appalled with the shenanigans that have been played out by [Labor leader] Dean Winter in the state parliament." Ms Archer said she would continue to stand up for what she believes in. After her loss in the federal election, Ms Archer pointed to Labor's messaging that linked her to former Liberal leader Peter Dutton as a critical factor. She won the federal seat of Bass in 2019, then held the seat in 2022, becoming the first incumbent Bass MP to do so in more than two decades. Last week's no-confidence motion was in Mr Rockliff, rather than the government itself, but he continues to rule out stepping aside for another Liberal leader in order to attempt to maintain minority government. He said Ms Archer's candidacy would help the party against Labor. "With the calibre of someone such as Bridget Archer willing to join many other candidates who are putting up their hands right now to ensure that we can stop Dean Winter's selfish grab for power." The Liberals hold three out of seven seats in Bass in Tasmania's multi-member Hare-Clark system, driven by the local electoral popularity of former deputy premier Michael Ferguson. Former sports presenter, now MP, Rob Fairs also polled well for the party. The selection of Ms Archer could help the party attempt to sandbag its seats in the electorate. Polling by EMRS — owned by Liberal-aligned Font PR — shows the proposed Macquarie Point stadium is unpopular in Bass, with 29 per cent in favour and 58 per cent against.
Mercury
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Mercury
New Labor Bass MP Jess Teesdale the morning after her victory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News. Having unseated and flipped the Northern Tasmanian seat of Bass, Jess Teesdale now faces her next challenge, being a member of parliament in the Australian government. Ms Teesdale is entering politics after teaching for 14 years — most recently at Launceston's Indie School — and says those skills will come in handy. 'Teaching is an incredible start to politics, I think teachers have to be across so many things at once and they have to take on a lot of information at a time,' she said. 'I think that's exactly what we've done throughout this whole campaign. We have been learning very, very fast, speaking to lots of people and really showing people that we care. We do genuinely care, and we are here for you.' Ms Teesdale will join the sea of red that swept the state and country, including Rebecca White, Julie Collins and Anne Urquhart. She said she was excited to work with her fellow federal colleagues. 'It's going to be incredible to work with such passionate, strong and fierce women,' Ms Teesdale said. 'I've got a lot to learn in this space, obviously, coming into it for the first time, and I can't think of a better group of women to do that with.' Along with healthcare and housing, education was obviously a huge driver for Ms Teesdale. 'The fact that we're looking at education as a whole of life aspect is incredible and we're so excited to get to work in this space,' she said. On Saturday night, Ms Teesdale said she spoke with outgoing Bass member Bridget Archer. 'Bridget did call me to congratulate me last night, and I was very grateful for that 'cause she was very gracious, and I'm very grateful for the work that she did for us,' she said. Ms Teesdale said she was ready to roll her sleeves up for her electorate. 'So as the representative for Bass, what an exciting phrase to say, what we really want people to know is that we are here,' she said. 'We are here for you to come and talk to us. We want to hear the issues that matter most to you, and we're here to work for you.'
