Latest news with #JoshWillie
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Josh Willie named new Tasmanian Labor leader after party officially concedes election defeat
Tasmanian Labor has replaced Dean Winter as parliamentary leader, with Josh Willie elected unopposed to serve as the state's new opposition leader. The party, which has been in opposition for 11 years, met for more than seven hours on Wednesday before announcing Willie's appointment. 'Tasmanian Labor has a proud history and I look forward to giving this role everything I've got to return Labor to government,' he said in a statement. It came a day after Winter's bid to take power via a no-confidence motion in parliament fell spectacularly flat. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Neither the incumbent Liberal government (14 seats) nor Labor (10) got the 18 seats needed for majority at a snap poll on 19 July, meaning both parties had spent the past month courting the 11-member crossbench in an attempt to form government. Tasmania's governor had declared that in the absence of a confidence and supply agreement, Jeremy Rockliff would remain premier as the incumbent, but Winter had flagged a motion of no confidence in the Liberals on the first day of the new parliament. None of the crossbench, made up of up five Greens, five independents and one Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP, backed Winter's bid on Tuesday. The result meant the election was declared officially lost by Labor, with party rules meaning the leadership was automatically spilled as a result. Winter was criticised by several crossbench MPs on Tuesday for failing to compromise during policy negotiations. The Liberals made a number of concessions to the largely left-leaning crossbench, including a pledge to ban greyhound racing and review salmon farming. Labor suffered a 3% swing against it at the election and picked up 25.9% of the primary vote, the party's worst election result in more than a century. Winter, who assumed the Labor leadership 16 months ago, said he took 'full responsibility' for the election result and it was 'understandable' for the party to have a new leader. He accused Rockliff of selling out workers by shifting positions. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'Some say that politics is the art of compromise, but compromise does not and should not mean capitulation,' said Winter, who will continue as an MP for the seat of Franklin. Willie, from the party's left faction, was a teacher before entering politics and spent eight years in the upper house before being elected in the lower house in 2024. Janie Finlay has been elected as deputy leader, replacing Anita Dow. The Greens and several independents said they lacked faith in the Liberals, but had less faith that Labor could form a workable government. Rockliff said it was time to 'get on with the job' and policy shifts were a recognition of a minority scenario. Tasmania's fourth election in seven years was triggered after Rockliff lost a no-confidence motion in June that criticised the state's ballooning budget debt.
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter out after failed no confidence motion in Premier Jeremy Rockliff
Dean Winter is out as Tasmania's Labor Party leader a day his no confidence motion in Premier Jeremy Rockliff failed spectacularly. Josh Willie will take over as Opposition Leader following a caucus vote. The Mercury reported that under Labor rules, a spill of leadership positions occurs after an election loss. Mr Willie emerged victorious in a ballot against fellow Clark MP Ella Haddad to secure the leadership candidacy. 'It is a great honour to be elected Leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party,' Mr Willie said in a statement. 'Tasmanian Labor has a proud history and I look forward to giving this role everything I've got to return Labor to government.' Mr Willie thanked Mr Winter for his service, saying he had 'strong Labor values'. Janie Finlay was elected unopposed as new deputy leader, replacing Anita Dow. The spill comes after Labor suffered a humiliating defeat in Tasmania's parliament on Tuesday – the first day of sitting since the snap state election resulted in a hung parliament – with the motion failing to secure a single crossbench vote. Mr Winter's motion was met with a rare display of unity from all other sides, leaving Labor exposed and widely criticised. Newly elected member for Franklin and former ABC reporter Peter George delivered one of the most scathing assessments of Labor's performance. 'Labor set about undermining the very notion of collaboration and compromise as it sought to lead a minority government,' Mr George told the House of Assembly. 'In my years of reporting politics, which stretch back to the Whitlam years, never have I come across an opposition party less ready for government.' Premier Rockliff, the only Liberal MP to speak on the motion, emphasised the need for collaboration in a minority government. 'We cannot ignore the fact that in minority government we must come together and agree on policy positions that reflect the wider will of the people,' Mr Rockliff said. 'Minority government may well be here for decades to come, and that's why we need to listen, learn and continue to make progress. We might not always agree, but everyone deserves to be heard.' He blamed Mr Winter for sending parliament 'right back where we were.' Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party could not back a motion that put Labor into power – but said the minor party did not have confidence in the Liberals either. 'We tried really hard to work with Labor,' Ms Woodruff said. 'Mr Winter showed no capacity or intention to negotiate with the Greens or to make policy compromises. 'Labor has nothing to offer. They continue to blindly back building a billion-dollar stadium the state doesn't need and clearly can't afford.' Labor won only 10 seats in the 35-seat parliament at the snap July election called after a previous no confidence in Mr Rockliff succeeded.
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Josh Willie replaces Dean Winter as Tasmanian Labor leader after election loss
Josh Willie is the new Tasmanian Labor leader, replacing Dean Winter. In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Opposition whip Meg Brown said "in accordance with Labor Party rules, the leadership was spilled at today's caucus meeting". Mr Winter led the no-confidence motion which failed in parliament yesterday, which officially resulted in Labor losing the July 19 state election. Tasmania's Labor Party had been locked in a day-long leadership discussion since 9am. The party's dominant left faction had earlier held a meeting in the morning, where Mr Willie won a ballot against fellow Clark MP Ella Haddad to become the left's leadership candidate. The party's leader and deputy leader roles automatically spilled after Labor's election defeat. Janie Finlay from the party's right faction was elected unopposed as new deputy leader, replacing Anita Dow. Labor's dual motion of no confidence in Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and confidence in Dean Winter failed to secure any crossbench support. The motion was defeated 24 votes to 10.
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Tasmanian Labor discuss new leadership following failed no-confidence motion
The ABC understands the dominant left faction of the Tasmanian Labor Party is meeting this morning to discuss potential leadership contenders. A Labor MP has told the ABC Josh Willie and Ella Haddad have been considering nominating. It is understood there will also be a meeting of the wider parliamentary Labor party later this morning. Despite only winning 10 seats at the election, the party had been hoping to take government through a motion of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff and confidence in Labor leader Dean Winter. But the party failed to convince a single crossbencher to support it with many saying Labor had shown it was unable to compromise and not ready to govern. The motion was defeated last night 24 to 10. The confirmation of election defeat now means both leadership positions will be automatically declared vacant. If there are multiple nominations there will be a statewide ballot. Mr Winter, who is from the right faction, has yet to confirm if he will nominate again. The party was criticised by the crossbench during the debate for refusing to compromise on key policies, contrasted to the Liberals who have now committed to banning greyhound racing and reviewing the sustainability of the salmon industry. While the party faced a resounding loss both at the election and in parliament, a Labor MP told the ABC that backflipping on greyhound racing and the salmon industry at this late stage would be a mistake. They said if the party was going to move on such policies, it should have done so over a week ago.
ABC News
24-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Tasmanian government accused of freezing nursing and other frontline service jobs
Tasmanian Labor has accused Premier Jeremy Rockliff of breaking his promise to exclude nurses and frontline services from job cuts. In March, the state government announced a hiring freeze for non-essential public service positions in an effort to reel in the state's finances. But Labor said a recently released list of recruitment roles from the Health and Education departments painted a different picture. The list, provided by Treasurer Guy Barnett in response to a question Shadow Treasurer Josh Willie asked in parliament on May 7, shows job requests that have been rejected under the state government's vacancy-control and hiring-freeze policies. It outlines recruitment requests not approved since March 3 this year. "This is an important transparency measure. We have a government that has been less than transparent when it comes to managing the budget," Mr Willie told parliament on May 7. For the Department of Education, Children and Young People, there have been 18 requests not approved, including for roles such as librarians, project officers, senior communications officers and a human resources manager. In the Health Department, 16 roles have not been filled. They include nursing staff, a clinical coordinator, communications advisers, and administration roles. There have also been several roles not filled in the Justice, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, State Growth and Natural Resources and Environment departments. Labor leader Dean Winter said the state government needed to explain how roles such as nurses were not essential. "Having positions like nurses affected by a freeze puts more pressure on other staff. And, speaking with nurses directly, particularly through the ANMF [Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation], I know these are cuts they can't afford. "So either the government, Jeremy Rockliff, has broken his promise, in terms of frontline resources, or they don't believe that nurses are frontline workers … [but] of course they are. They've broken their promise." The state government has been contacted for comment.
