Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has declared he will seek an early election if a no-confidence motion filed against him passes parliament on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of a second day of debate, the Liberal leader said if Labor and the Greens cannot form a government, then he will visit Lieutenant Governor Christopher Shanahan to advise Tasmanians go back to the polls, the second in 14 months.
“I have a lot more fight in me. We have built a better Tasmania. We have invested in health. We have invested to keep children safe,” he told reporters.
“We have invested in schools, in community safety and we have created an economy that is leading the nation with record-low unemployment.
“I cannot let (Tasmanian Opposition Leader) Mr Winter’s selfish grab for power destroy what we have build over the course of the last decade.
“The only job Mr Winter is interested is in mine. And I am not going anywhere.”
The state’s Labor leader Dean Winter – who was not present for the morning session of Thursday’s parliament – confirmed he “will not do a deal with the Greens”.
“Jeremy Rockliff is calling his second early election in 16 months because he has lost the support of the Parliament. We are going to an election because the Liberals have broken the budget and want to sell off Tasmania’s assets,” he wrote to X.
Former Tasmanian premier premier Peter Gutwein has backed his successor to remain in the top job and weighed in on the unfolding turmoil.
He believes 17 MPs will back the no-confidence motion and the same amount will not support it, which leaves the final vote to Speaker Michelle O’Byrne.
If Labor MP from Bass vacates her chair to vote, the motion will be passed, but if she remained it would be defeated, The Mercury reported.
Three key crossbench MPs in Andrew Jenner, Craig Garland and Kristie Johnston indicated on Wednesday they will support Mr Winter’s motion.
This all came after the Labor leader this week filed the motion fearing Tasmania may go “broke” and claimed the minority Liberal government had mismanaged the budget.
He also has no confidence in its plans to privatise government-business enterprises, the Spirit of Tasmania ferry replacement project, and the yet to be built almost $1 billion Hobart stadium, to be the home of the AFL’s 19th team, the Tasmanian Devils.
A fiery debate in parliament, which started mid-Wednesday morning and concluded about 7.30pm, ended with no final vote on the motion.
Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter were each given 40 minutes to deliver their case in the House of Assembly, which led to the pair throwing accusations at one another.
The state Labor leader claimed the instability of the government was the fault of the Premier and that he could not “stand by and allow this mess to continue”.
In response, Mr Rockliff said his political opponent was forcing Tasmanians back to the polls and that the state’s future and major projects will be under threat.
“I will fight for my last breath to ensure that we remain in government and to ensure that we continue delivering for the people of Tasmania,” he said on Wednesday.
Other MPs were allocated 20 minutes to speak.
Leader of the House Eric Abetz said the state’s future dream of having a Tasmanian AFL team may be in danger from Labor’s no-confidence motion.
Tasmanian Devils general manager Kathryn McCann on Wednesday broke down in tears during a press conference amid the uncertainty of the Macquarie Point Stadium.
“Well done Leader of the Opposition, well done to every single Labor member who occasioned that breakdown,” Mr Abetz said.
“Everything is dispensable in your grasp for power.”
Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff has proposed to Labor forming a coalition between the two parties to avoid going to another “costly” election.
“And it is him who needs to stand up and do his best to form a minority government with members of the crossbench… in the best interests of Tasmanians. The Greens will work in good faith to form an arrangement of minority government,” she said.
The majority of the 35 members have indicated they will back Labor’s move.
