Ending weeks of speculation, Tasmania’s State Premier Jeremy Rockliff has announced his intention to call an early election, triggered by two cross-bench independent MPs who failed to commit to a confidence and supply agreement.
The next state election is pencilled in for 2025, but Mr. Rockliff said he would ask Governor Barbara Baker to call an early election on Feb. 14, after former Liberal MPs Lara Alexander and John Tucker, now operating as independents, continually lent their support to opposition motions and amendments in the house.
Ms. Alexander and Mr. Tucker left the party in May 2023 after raising concerns about the transparency of the $3.8 billion Marinus Link electricity transmission project that crosses the Bass Strait, as well as the proposed $715 million AFL facility at Hobart’s Macquarie Point.
In January this year, the Member for Lyons Tucker threatened to “bring the government down” if his demands to scrap the AFL stadium, as well as a second bill on investigating animal cruelty, were not upheld.
“If the two issues are not fixed, I will be moving a motion of no confidence in the government to bring the government down. They will not have my support, they will not have my supply and confidence,” Mr. Tucker said.
Holding just 11 of 25 seats in the lower house, Ms. Alexander and Mr. Tuckers’ defections left the Liberal government with a minority.
Talk of an early election had been tempered by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which Mr. Rockliff had hoped would facilitate a smoother passage for the state’s new budget.
A condition of the agreement also allowed for weekly meetings between the MPs and Mr. Rockcliff, but the close contact did not dissuade them from forcing Energy Minister Guy Barnett to front up to the Privileges and Conduct Committee for allegedly failing to provide cost estimates for the Marinus Link, the North West Transmission Developments, and the Battery of the Nation projects.
Mr. Rockliff said he wanted to secure Tasmanians “certainty and stability” going forward in his now minority-led parliament, but his proposal was rejected by the crossbenchers, who after months of crossing the floor and supporting opposition motions, created a standoff when Mr. Rockliff pushed them to agree to a more robust MOU.
Ms. Alexander and Mr. Tucker said their preference was to continue with the original agreement.
Without their support the premier was painted into a corner, sparking the announcement to send voters to the polls.
“The parliamentary Liberal Party this afternoon met to discuss the failure of former Liberal MPs John Tucker and Lara Alexander to commit to a new, enduring confidence and supply agreement,” Mr. Rockliff said in a statement on Feb. 13.
“It was unanimously agreed that in the light of this, it was appropriate for me to request the governor to call a general election.
“The only way to restore the stability and certainty Tasmanians need is to re-elect a majority Liberal government.”
