As the No-Confidence Vote resumes on Thursday, the Tasmanian Premier is likely to lose.
After lawmakers halted debate after more than nine hours of intense discussion, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff will face the second day of a no-confidence motion Thursday that seems certain to end his tenure and force an early election.
When voting resumes, the motion, which was proposed by opposition leader Dean Winter, will have the backing of 18 MPs. Along with Labour and the Greens, eight cross-party MPs have endorsed the bill that targets Rockliff's financial management and oversight of important infrastructure projects.
Winter stated during the debate on Wednesday that "the direction that the Tasmanian premier is taking our state will send it broke." "After giving my role and duty to this state careful thought, I simply could not stand to see this mess go on."
The state budget released last week, which predicted four consecutive deficits and debt to soar to $10.8 billion by the 2028–2029 fiscal year, is the source of the motion. The growing cost of a proposed AFL stadium in Hobart, which is currently estimated to be $945 million, is another point of contention.
In an impassioned speech on Wednesday, Rockliff acknowledged that the motion was likely to succeed but launched a scathing counterattack against Winter.
Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.
Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
Rockliff declared, "I will fight until the end to make sure we stay in government and that we keep providing for the people of Tasmania." "Your entire political career will be shaped by this day. You will now be known as a wrecker, which is a stigma.
Only 15 months after the last election, the premier has repeatedly said that if the no-confidence motion passes, he will ask the governor to call an early election.
The premier had "brought this on himself," according to Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff, whose party's support for the motion sealed Rockliff's doom.
Woodruff claimed, "He has had numerous opportunities to listen to the people of Tasmania, and he has repeatedly refused to do that."
Additionally, Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner and independent Kristie Johnston supported the motion. Craig Garland, an independent, will speak on Thursday.
Parliament voted 18–16 to halt the debate until Thursday night after 19 MPs spoke on Wednesday. Rebekah Pentland, Andrew Jenner, Miriam Beswick, and David O'Byrne were the four crossbenchers who joined the government in delaying the final vote.
Labour MPs urged Liberal colleagues to remove Rockliff as leader or to resign before the vote.
"Would they rather roll the dice or does anyone on that side have the ticker to roll the premier?" Shane Broad, the frontbencher for Labour, inquired on Wednesday. "An election is not guaranteed if he resigns or if one of you on that side has the courage to roll him."
Liberal MPs, however, united behind their leader. Rockliff is a man "who leads this state through some of the most challenging moments that our state and community has ever faced," according to Police Minister Felix Ellis.
Despite their pledge to hold an early election in the event that Rockliff is ousted, liberal insiders were silent about possible successor leadership.
Whether Lieutenant-Governor Christopher Shanahan would allow an early election request or force other Liberal Members of Parliament to try to form a minority government with cross-party support is still up in the air.
At 7:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, the debate will resume.
Got a News Tip?
Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.
As well as knowing you’re keeping MENCARI alive, you’ll also get:
Get breaking news AS IT HAPPENS - Gain instant access to our real-time coverage and analysis when major stories break, keeping you ahead of the curve
Unlock our COMPLETE content library - Enjoy unlimited access to every newsletter, podcast episode, and exclusive archive—all seamlessly available in your favorite podcast apps.
Join the conversation that matters - Be part of our vibrant community with full commenting privileges on all content, directly supporting Mencari's
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
