Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff: Early election looms as state leaders trade blame
A state election is inching closer as an embattled premier refuses to stand down to spare voters the pain of returning to the polls.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff is preparing to call an early election as soon as Tuesday after narrowly losing a no-confidence motion in state parliament.
The state Liberal leader could have stood aside or been removed to allow his party to continue to govern in minority with crossbench support.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.But he is forging ahead with plans to recall parliament on Tuesday to pass a bill to ensure government workers can keep getting paid, before asking Governor Barbara Baker to call an election.
She could approve his request or ask another Liberal MP or Labor leader Dean Winter to try to form minority government.
Mr Rockliff said an election date would likely be set this week and confirmed he would lead the party to the poll.
“Dean Winter’s guaranteed the election,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Tasmanians were sent to the ballot box for a state election as recently as March 2024 and another would mark the fourth in seven years.
The unofficial election campaign has already kicked off, with Mr Rockliff revealing former federal MP Bridget Archer will run for Liberal preselection in the state seat of Bass.
Mr Rockliff also confirmed the Liberals would not pull a previous pledge to introduce a five per cent levy on short-stay rentals, including Airbnb listings.
The levy would partially offset the cost of waiving stamp duty for first-time buyers purchasing homes worth up to $750,000.
Mr Winter is sticking to his guns in ruling out forming government with the Greens, without whom Labor doesn’t have the numbers.
He has defended bringing forward the no-confidence motion over the state budget, privatisation concerns and the Spirit of Tasmania ferry debacle, and doubled down on calls for Mr Rockliff to resign.
“He’s carrying on at the moment like a spoiled child that’s been given out in a game of cricket,” Mr Winter said.
“And then instead of just accepting the umpire’s decision he’s picking up his bat and ball and going home.”
