3 days ago
Tasmania likely to get another state election as Jeremy Rockliff heads to see governor
The Tasmanian government has passed an emergency budget supply bill to keep the public service funded, clearing the way for the premier to visit the governor this afternoon and call for an early election.
The ABC understands a mistake in the emergency budget supply bill, which needs to pass both houses of parliament in order to keep the public service funded, had to be fixed because of a typo before it could be considered by the upper house.
Last week Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a vote of no-confidence in the lower house, 18 votes to 17.
Labor Opposition Leader Dean Winter cited growing state debt in the yet-to-be-passed state budget, plans to sell off state assets and the bungled rollout of the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries as the reasons for the motion.
The government has since ruled out the sale of state assets.
Convention dictates that after losing a vote of no-confidence, the premier should resign.
Mr Rockliff has instead pushed for an early election.
His position was backed by his Liberal colleagues, who have not mounted a leadership challenge.
The governor has options other than granting an early election, including asking another Liberal MP to try to form a minority government, or asking Labor — with just 10 seats — to try to govern in minority.
Mr Winter has ruled out forming a minority government that requires the support of the Greens, despite the minor party pledging confidence and supply to Labor.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff will meet Her Excellency Barbara Baker, Governor of Tasmania, to seek an election.
But can she say, 'no'?
There's only two scenarios where that could have happened.
The first is if the Liberals replaced Mr Rockliff with a new leader, who could then be asked to test their support on the floor of the house.
That didn't happen, so that's ruled out.
The second is if Labor leader Dean Winter had made efforts to cobble together his own minority government, using the Greens and crossbench.
He made no such moves, so that is also ruled out — the governor won't make that request of him.
It leaves an election as the only option.
