11-06-2025
Tasmania heads to election
Isabella Higgins: In Tasmania, campaign mode begins with the state headed for a snap election on July 19th. Despite the no confidence motion against Premier Jeremy Rockleaf that sent the state to the polls, the Liberal leader is hanging on. For the latest, Meg Whitfield in Hobart. Meg, how did we get here?
Meg Whitfield: It's a good question. It's been quite the week in Tasmanian politics. So a week ago today, Premier Jeremy Rockliff lost a motion of no confidence vote on the House of Parliament in the House of Assembly. That was after a marathon two day debate over the motion. It was moved by Labor leader Dean Winter. Ultimately the vote got up 18 votes to 17 with Speaker Michelle O'Byrne casting that final vote. And the whole way through, Premier Jeremy Rocklifff said, if this motion is successful, I will go to the governor and I will request a snap election. Keeping in mind it's only been about 15 months since the last time we had a state election in Tasmania. But when that vote passed, he went to the government house. He made that request of the governor, Barbara Baker. Last night she came back to the premier and said, I'll grant that request. And we're going back to the polls July 19th. Now, she did say that was notwithstanding the 2024 election, the public interest in avoiding the cost of an election and the prevailing public mood against an election. But she granted the dissolution and said she was satisfied there was no real possibility an alternative government could be formed. So we're back to the polls.
Isabella Higgins: Right, Meg, as you say, headed to a snap election. So what happens now?
Meg Whitfield: Well, campaign mode will now get well and truly underway. It looked like it was beginning to get that way over the weekend, despite the election not yet being called, both major parties gearing up for it. But now that will well and truly get underway. The major parties will have to determine their policies. We'll have to say what candidates are coming out. There might be a bit of a shake up there. We've already seen former federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer. She's put her hand up to run in the state election for the Libs if she gets preselected for that. And we've also heard the other day Michelle O'Byrne, who has been with Labor for a very, very long time, saying she won't seek preselection. So that's a big loss in Bass for them. And obviously, Bec White, Rebecca White, she's now a federal MP, so she won't be going for Labor in lines. And she's a huge vote puller. So it'll be quite interesting to see what candidates we get, what kind of impact that'll have on the actual makeup of Parliament. At the moment, there's 14 Liberal MPs, there's 10 Labor MPs. You'd think they'd both be wanting to grow that. But there could also be a real move towards independents and Greens, because there is a bit of voter fatigue out there. We've had so many elections in Tasmania, not just state. But our fourth state election in seven years, it'll be interesting if voters turn away from the major parties as a result. And that is a bit of a trend that we've seen nationally. So interesting times ahead.
