Tasmanian Liberal Government Loses Fourth Cabinet Member in 2022

Tasmania’s Premier Jeremy Rockliff at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 17, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Tasmania’s Police Minister Jacquie Petrusma has become the fourth cabinet member departing from the state’s Liberal government in 2022 after resigning from the parliament due to personal reasons.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff made the announcement on July 25 on behalf of the police minister as she is currently on leave.

“She has been an enormously dedicated member of my team. I will miss her. Jacquie has been a great friend to me,” he told reporters.

“This is Jacquie’s personal decision. She has reflected on her 12 years in parliament and has every right to come to that decision to spend more time with her family.”

The Tasmanian cabinet has lost four members so far in 2022, with education minister Sarah Courtney the first to quit politics in February for family reasons.

Shortly after that, Minister for Disability Services Jane Howlett resigned from her position on Feb. 25, following her brother’s death. And in April, then-premier Peter Gutwein stepped down after two decades in politics.

The departures of cabinet members has come one after another since the Liberty party won the state election in May 2021.

A year later, Rockliff announced plans to raise the number of Tasmania’s lower house members from 25 to 35, citing concerns over MP workloads.

“It’s a tough gig being a member of parliament, and it’s a tough gig being a minister,” he said. “That comes with sacrifice, and families wear the brunt of that sacrifice.”

Recount To Be Held

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission will organise a recount in Petrusma’s electorate of Franklin from Aug. 15, and a Liberal candidate will likely take over her seat.

In addition, the scheduled resumption of the state parliament on Aug. 9 could be postponed, given the Liberal government currently holds a one-seat majority in the lower house.

Petrusma, who held the police, fire and emergency management, prevention of family violence and parks portfolios, said in a statement that resigning was challenging for her.

“As a victim-survivor of family and sexual violence, responding to and the prevention of family and sexual violence was one of the strongest motivations for me becoming an MP,” she said.

“I will continue to be a strong advocate ... to help drive further actions and change in attitudes and behaviours to eliminate family and sexual violence in Tasmania.”

Tasmania’s youngest parliamentarian Felix Ellis will replace Petrusma in cabinet and take over the police, fire and emergency management portfolio, while Petrusma’s other duties have been allocated elsewhere.