Latest news with #SpiritofTasmania
The Age
2 hours ago
- General
- The Age
Highlights from a walk in the park
Stewart Martin of Mangerton makes an extraterrestrial observation: 'In the cold pre-dawn darkness, we walk our dogs at the local park. Aliens (C8) flying over would go elsewhere after witnessing earthlings searching for dog poo with their mobile phones.' A lack of bags sometimes leads Caz Willis of Bowral to utilise coffee cups from the bin: 'Watching an owner let his pooch drop and keep walking, I caught up with him and handed him one. The look on his face told me he'd never 'scooped' before. Didn't see him in the park after that.' Forget Madeiran boomerangs (C8), Julie Apps of Pemulwuy, holidaying in the UK says, 'Imagine my surprise to find berthed beside the royal yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, the Spirit of Tasmania. I gather it's there because it won't fit in the new berth in Tasmania and someone won't pay its parking fees. The guides on Britannia think it's great because it hides an industrial eyesore.' With the long weekend approaching, it's D-Day for the cracker night tales (C8), but not before we hear from Jennifer Richardson of Macmasters Beach: 'As a child, we had the largest bonfire in the neighbourhood, built by the kids in the area. Part of the final ceremony was to put an effigy on the top. My brothers decided it should be female and well-dressed. Imagine my mum's surprise when she saw her favourite dress going up in flames atop the bonfire.' 'In the 1980s, my young brother returned home in the wee hours after a big night out on the turps and messing with bungers,' writes David Ramsay of Bexley. 'After putting on a toastie, he fell asleep. Overnight the toaster disintegrated and filled the house with acrid smoke. On awakening, my mother declared: 'They're just going to have to ban cracker night!'' 'What a heartless lot these cracker night tragics are (C8)!' affirms Kerrie Wehbe of Blacktown. 'All that boys-will-be-boys nostalgia for all that carnage, and not an apology in sight.' Just regarding all that boys-will-be-boys nostalgia, we'd like to thank Judy Jones, Libby Cameron, Meri Will, Joan Hayward, Rhonda Ellis and Jennifer from Macmasters for their cracker night sagas. Lesley McBurney of Wavell Heights (Qld) returns to the Baby Book (C8): 'I, too, would drive my firstborn to her gran's to eat brains which I cannot stand. We called it 'yummy food', to avoid having to admit what it was.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Highlights from a walk in the park
Stewart Martin of Mangerton makes an extraterrestrial observation: 'In the cold pre-dawn darkness, we walk our dogs at the local park. Aliens (C8) flying over would go elsewhere after witnessing earthlings searching for dog poo with their mobile phones.' A lack of bags sometimes leads Caz Willis of Bowral to utilise coffee cups from the bin: 'Watching an owner let his pooch drop and keep walking, I caught up with him and handed him one. The look on his face told me he'd never 'scooped' before. Didn't see him in the park after that.' Forget Madeiran boomerangs (C8), Julie Apps of Pemulwuy, holidaying in the UK says, 'Imagine my surprise to find berthed beside the royal yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, the Spirit of Tasmania. I gather it's there because it won't fit in the new berth in Tasmania and someone won't pay its parking fees. The guides on Britannia think it's great because it hides an industrial eyesore.' With the long weekend approaching, it's D-Day for the cracker night tales (C8), but not before we hear from Jennifer Richardson of Macmasters Beach: 'As a child, we had the largest bonfire in the neighbourhood, built by the kids in the area. Part of the final ceremony was to put an effigy on the top. My brothers decided it should be female and well-dressed. Imagine my mum's surprise when she saw her favourite dress going up in flames atop the bonfire.' 'In the 1980s, my young brother returned home in the wee hours after a big night out on the turps and messing with bungers,' writes David Ramsay of Bexley. 'After putting on a toastie, he fell asleep. Overnight the toaster disintegrated and filled the house with acrid smoke. On awakening, my mother declared: 'They're just going to have to ban cracker night!'' 'What a heartless lot these cracker night tragics are (C8)!' affirms Kerrie Wehbe of Blacktown. 'All that boys-will-be-boys nostalgia for all that carnage, and not an apology in sight.' Just regarding all that boys-will-be-boys nostalgia, we'd like to thank Judy Jones, Libby Cameron, Meri Will, Joan Hayward, Rhonda Ellis and Jennifer from Macmasters for their cracker night sagas. Lesley McBurney of Wavell Heights (Qld) returns to the Baby Book (C8): 'I, too, would drive my firstborn to her gran's to eat brains which I cannot stand. We called it 'yummy food', to avoid having to admit what it was.'
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Tasmanian politics in crisis: How did we get here?
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government is hanging by a thread as he fights to stave off a motion of no confidence brought by the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Dean Winter argues last month's budget, with its bumper deficit and privatisation plans, was the tipping point for his party. A billion-dollar waterfront stadium that would host the new Tasmanian Devils AFL team has been cited by the Greens and crossbench as a major reason for supporting the motion. But this week's flashpoint does not come out of the blue. It arrives after a snowballing set of decisions and issues that have weakened the Liberal government, first elected with Will Hodgman at the helm in 2014. On taking office in 2022, one of Mr Rockliff's first acts as premier was to back the return of a 35-seat House of Assembly, up from 25, to reduce the workload on ministers and MPs. Given Tasmania's Senate-like lower house, this made it easier for independents and Greens to win seats, producing a hung parliament at the 2024 election. Mr Rockliff's Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the 2024 poll but remained parliament's biggest party, with 14 MPs to Labor's 10 and the Greens' five. To govern, Mr Rockliff signed deals with five crossbenchers, including various promises he has struggled to fulfil, straining relationships. The biggest turbulence for the Rockliff government has been its botched replacement of Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the critical sea link to the mainland. Two Finland-built ships were due in 2024, but the new berth needed to house them in Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with costs blowing out from $90m to $495m. Michael Ferguson took the fall, resigning as infrastructure minister in August last year, and then, as a no confidence motion loomed, as Treasurer in October. An Australian Rules state to its boots, Tasmania has always coveted a place in the AFL and got it in 2022, when a bid championed by former premier Peter Gutwein was realised by Mr Rockliff. However, the deal came with strings attached. The AFL will pay the least, but demands a roofed stadium close to the inner-city. The federal government does not pay as much as the state government, which also crucially, is on the hook for cost overruns - which already run into the hundreds of millions. As is often the case in Tasmania, the huge stadium project draws opposition. Some say it's in the wrong spot, including Hobart City Council and the RSL, given the proximity to heritage and a nearby war memorial. Economists attack dubious return-on-investment projections. Engineers doubt the feasibility of the Macquarie Point site, and those outside of Hobart feel its an over-the-top investment, especially given the state's health and housing woes. The final straw - at least to Labor - was new Treasurer's Guy Barnett first budget, unveiled last month. The Liberals, long the party of fiscal responsibility, instead unveiled deficits as far as the eye could see and ballooning debt to $10b; a huge amount for a state of 550,000 people. The blowout drew huge criticism both inside and outside parliament. The Labor opposition has suffered four election defeats in a row, the last three under Rebecca White, but have enjoyed a poll uptick under their new leader. He clearly sees a government on the ropes and enough of the crossbench agree. Labor want to move now given the huge support Tasmanians offered to candidates in the federal election, with four of the five seats now in Labor hands. They sense a moment. Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government is hanging by a thread as he fights to stave off a motion of no confidence brought by the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Dean Winter argues last month's budget, with its bumper deficit and privatisation plans, was the tipping point for his party. A billion-dollar waterfront stadium that would host the new Tasmanian Devils AFL team has been cited by the Greens and crossbench as a major reason for supporting the motion. But this week's flashpoint does not come out of the blue. It arrives after a snowballing set of decisions and issues that have weakened the Liberal government, first elected with Will Hodgman at the helm in 2014. On taking office in 2022, one of Mr Rockliff's first acts as premier was to back the return of a 35-seat House of Assembly, up from 25, to reduce the workload on ministers and MPs. Given Tasmania's Senate-like lower house, this made it easier for independents and Greens to win seats, producing a hung parliament at the 2024 election. Mr Rockliff's Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the 2024 poll but remained parliament's biggest party, with 14 MPs to Labor's 10 and the Greens' five. To govern, Mr Rockliff signed deals with five crossbenchers, including various promises he has struggled to fulfil, straining relationships. The biggest turbulence for the Rockliff government has been its botched replacement of Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the critical sea link to the mainland. Two Finland-built ships were due in 2024, but the new berth needed to house them in Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with costs blowing out from $90m to $495m. Michael Ferguson took the fall, resigning as infrastructure minister in August last year, and then, as a no confidence motion loomed, as Treasurer in October. An Australian Rules state to its boots, Tasmania has always coveted a place in the AFL and got it in 2022, when a bid championed by former premier Peter Gutwein was realised by Mr Rockliff. However, the deal came with strings attached. The AFL will pay the least, but demands a roofed stadium close to the inner-city. The federal government does not pay as much as the state government, which also crucially, is on the hook for cost overruns - which already run into the hundreds of millions. As is often the case in Tasmania, the huge stadium project draws opposition. Some say it's in the wrong spot, including Hobart City Council and the RSL, given the proximity to heritage and a nearby war memorial. Economists attack dubious return-on-investment projections. Engineers doubt the feasibility of the Macquarie Point site, and those outside of Hobart feel its an over-the-top investment, especially given the state's health and housing woes. The final straw - at least to Labor - was new Treasurer's Guy Barnett first budget, unveiled last month. The Liberals, long the party of fiscal responsibility, instead unveiled deficits as far as the eye could see and ballooning debt to $10b; a huge amount for a state of 550,000 people. The blowout drew huge criticism both inside and outside parliament. The Labor opposition has suffered four election defeats in a row, the last three under Rebecca White, but have enjoyed a poll uptick under their new leader. He clearly sees a government on the ropes and enough of the crossbench agree. Labor want to move now given the huge support Tasmanians offered to candidates in the federal election, with four of the five seats now in Labor hands. They sense a moment. Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government is hanging by a thread as he fights to stave off a motion of no confidence brought by the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Dean Winter argues last month's budget, with its bumper deficit and privatisation plans, was the tipping point for his party. A billion-dollar waterfront stadium that would host the new Tasmanian Devils AFL team has been cited by the Greens and crossbench as a major reason for supporting the motion. But this week's flashpoint does not come out of the blue. It arrives after a snowballing set of decisions and issues that have weakened the Liberal government, first elected with Will Hodgman at the helm in 2014. On taking office in 2022, one of Mr Rockliff's first acts as premier was to back the return of a 35-seat House of Assembly, up from 25, to reduce the workload on ministers and MPs. Given Tasmania's Senate-like lower house, this made it easier for independents and Greens to win seats, producing a hung parliament at the 2024 election. Mr Rockliff's Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the 2024 poll but remained parliament's biggest party, with 14 MPs to Labor's 10 and the Greens' five. To govern, Mr Rockliff signed deals with five crossbenchers, including various promises he has struggled to fulfil, straining relationships. The biggest turbulence for the Rockliff government has been its botched replacement of Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the critical sea link to the mainland. Two Finland-built ships were due in 2024, but the new berth needed to house them in Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with costs blowing out from $90m to $495m. Michael Ferguson took the fall, resigning as infrastructure minister in August last year, and then, as a no confidence motion loomed, as Treasurer in October. An Australian Rules state to its boots, Tasmania has always coveted a place in the AFL and got it in 2022, when a bid championed by former premier Peter Gutwein was realised by Mr Rockliff. However, the deal came with strings attached. The AFL will pay the least, but demands a roofed stadium close to the inner-city. The federal government does not pay as much as the state government, which also crucially, is on the hook for cost overruns - which already run into the hundreds of millions. As is often the case in Tasmania, the huge stadium project draws opposition. Some say it's in the wrong spot, including Hobart City Council and the RSL, given the proximity to heritage and a nearby war memorial. Economists attack dubious return-on-investment projections. Engineers doubt the feasibility of the Macquarie Point site, and those outside of Hobart feel its an over-the-top investment, especially given the state's health and housing woes. The final straw - at least to Labor - was new Treasurer's Guy Barnett first budget, unveiled last month. The Liberals, long the party of fiscal responsibility, instead unveiled deficits as far as the eye could see and ballooning debt to $10b; a huge amount for a state of 550,000 people. The blowout drew huge criticism both inside and outside parliament. The Labor opposition has suffered four election defeats in a row, the last three under Rebecca White, but have enjoyed a poll uptick under their new leader. He clearly sees a government on the ropes and enough of the crossbench agree. Labor want to move now given the huge support Tasmanians offered to candidates in the federal election, with four of the five seats now in Labor hands. They sense a moment. Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government is hanging by a thread as he fights to stave off a motion of no confidence brought by the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Dean Winter argues last month's budget, with its bumper deficit and privatisation plans, was the tipping point for his party. A billion-dollar waterfront stadium that would host the new Tasmanian Devils AFL team has been cited by the Greens and crossbench as a major reason for supporting the motion. But this week's flashpoint does not come out of the blue. It arrives after a snowballing set of decisions and issues that have weakened the Liberal government, first elected with Will Hodgman at the helm in 2014. On taking office in 2022, one of Mr Rockliff's first acts as premier was to back the return of a 35-seat House of Assembly, up from 25, to reduce the workload on ministers and MPs. Given Tasmania's Senate-like lower house, this made it easier for independents and Greens to win seats, producing a hung parliament at the 2024 election. Mr Rockliff's Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the 2024 poll but remained parliament's biggest party, with 14 MPs to Labor's 10 and the Greens' five. To govern, Mr Rockliff signed deals with five crossbenchers, including various promises he has struggled to fulfil, straining relationships. The biggest turbulence for the Rockliff government has been its botched replacement of Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the critical sea link to the mainland. Two Finland-built ships were due in 2024, but the new berth needed to house them in Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with costs blowing out from $90m to $495m. Michael Ferguson took the fall, resigning as infrastructure minister in August last year, and then, as a no confidence motion loomed, as Treasurer in October. An Australian Rules state to its boots, Tasmania has always coveted a place in the AFL and got it in 2022, when a bid championed by former premier Peter Gutwein was realised by Mr Rockliff. However, the deal came with strings attached. The AFL will pay the least, but demands a roofed stadium close to the inner-city. The federal government does not pay as much as the state government, which also crucially, is on the hook for cost overruns - which already run into the hundreds of millions. As is often the case in Tasmania, the huge stadium project draws opposition. Some say it's in the wrong spot, including Hobart City Council and the RSL, given the proximity to heritage and a nearby war memorial. Economists attack dubious return-on-investment projections. Engineers doubt the feasibility of the Macquarie Point site, and those outside of Hobart feel its an over-the-top investment, especially given the state's health and housing woes. The final straw - at least to Labor - was new Treasurer's Guy Barnett first budget, unveiled last month. The Liberals, long the party of fiscal responsibility, instead unveiled deficits as far as the eye could see and ballooning debt to $10b; a huge amount for a state of 550,000 people. The blowout drew huge criticism both inside and outside parliament. The Labor opposition has suffered four election defeats in a row, the last three under Rebecca White, but have enjoyed a poll uptick under their new leader. He clearly sees a government on the ropes and enough of the crossbench agree. Labor want to move now given the huge support Tasmanians offered to candidates in the federal election, with four of the five seats now in Labor hands. They sense a moment.
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Tasmanian politics in crisis: How did we get here?
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's minority Liberal government is hanging by a thread as he fights to stave off a motion of no confidence brought by the Labor opposition. Opposition leader Dean Winter argues last month's budget, with its bumper deficit and privatisation plans, was the tipping point for his party. A billion-dollar waterfront stadium that would host the new Tasmanian Devils AFL team has been cited by the Greens and crossbench as a major reason for supporting the motion. But this week's flashpoint does not come out of the blue. It arrives after a snowballing set of decisions and issues that have weakened the Liberal government, first elected with Will Hodgman at the helm in 2014. On taking office in 2022, one of Mr Rockliff's first acts as premier was to back the return of a 35-seat House of Assembly, up from 25, to reduce the workload on ministers and MPs. Given Tasmania's Senate-like lower house, this made it easier for independents and Greens to win seats, producing a hung parliament at the 2024 election. Mr Rockliff's Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the 2024 poll but remained parliament's biggest party, with 14 MPs to Labor's 10 and the Greens' five. To govern, Mr Rockliff signed deals with five crossbenchers, including various promises he has struggled to fulfil, straining relationships. The biggest turbulence for the Rockliff government has been its botched replacement of Spirit of Tasmania ferries, the critical sea link to the mainland. Two Finland-built ships were due in 2024, but the new berth needed to house them in Devonport won't be ready until 2026, with costs blowing out from $90m to $495m. Michael Ferguson took the fall, resigning as infrastructure minister in August last year, and then, as a no confidence motion loomed, as Treasurer in October. An Australian Rules state to its boots, Tasmania has always coveted a place in the AFL and got it in 2022, when a bid championed by former premier Peter Gutwein was realised by Mr Rockliff. However, the deal came with strings attached. The AFL will pay the least, but demands a roofed stadium close to the inner-city. The federal government does not pay as much as the state government, which also crucially, is on the hook for cost overruns - which already run into the hundreds of millions. As is often the case in Tasmania, the huge stadium project draws opposition. Some say it's in the wrong spot, including Hobart City Council and the RSL, given the proximity to heritage and a nearby war memorial. Economists attack dubious return-on-investment projections. Engineers doubt the feasibility of the Macquarie Point site, and those outside of Hobart feel its an over-the-top investment, especially given the state's health and housing woes. The final straw - at least to Labor - was new Treasurer's Guy Barnett first budget, unveiled last month. The Liberals, long the party of fiscal responsibility, instead unveiled deficits as far as the eye could see and ballooning debt to $10b; a huge amount for a state of 550,000 people. The blowout drew huge criticism both inside and outside parliament. The Labor opposition has suffered four election defeats in a row, the last three under Rebecca White, but have enjoyed a poll uptick under their new leader. He clearly sees a government on the ropes and enough of the crossbench agree. Labor want to move now given the huge support Tasmanians offered to candidates in the federal election, with four of the five seats now in Labor hands. They sense a moment.
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff's political future hangs in the balance as debate on no-confidence motion to enter second day
A debate on a no-confidence motion against Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is set to enter a second day after he vowed to fight to stay in power. The state's Labor leader Dean Winter filed the motion fearing Tasmania may go "broke" and claimed the minority Liberal government had mismanaged the budget. He also has no confidence in its plans to privatise government-business enterprises, the Spirit of Tasmania ferry replacement project, and the new almost $1 billion Hobart stadium, which is set to be the home of the AFL's 19th team, the Tasmanian Devils. A fiery debate in parliament which started mid-Wednesday morning and concluded about 7.30pm ended with no final vote, meaning it is set to continue on Thursday. Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter were each given 40 minutes to deliver their case in the House of Assembly, which led to the pair throwing accusations at one another. The state Labor leader claimed the instability of the government was the fault of the Premier and that he could not "stand by and allow this mess to continue". In response, Mr Rockliff said his political opponent was forcing Tasmanians back to the polls and that the state's future and major projects will be under threat. "I will fight for my last breath to ensure that we remain in government and to ensure that we continue delivering for the people of Tasmania," he said. Other MPs were allocated 20 minutes to speak. Leader of the House Eric Abetz said the state's future dream of having a Tasmanian AFL team may be in danger from Labor's no-confidence motion. Tasmanian Devils general manager Kathryn McCann on Wednesday broke down in tears during a press conference amid the uncertainty of a stadium. 'Well done Leader of the Opposition, well done to every single Labor member who occasioned that breakdown,' Mr Abetz said. 'Everything is dispensable in your grasp for power." Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff has proposed to Labor forming a coalition between the two parties to avoid going to another "costly" election. 'And it is him who needs to stand up and do his best to form a minority government with members of the crossbench… in the best interests of Tasmanians. The Greens will work in good faith to form an arrangement of minority government," she said. The majority of the 35 members have indicated they will back Labor's move.
