Tasmania is likely to have its fourth election in four years, after a vote of no-confidence was cast in the Tasmanian Lower House by Liberal leader Jeremy Rockcliff.
This comes after the Liberal government presented a state budget with the state forecast to be over A$10 billion in debt by 2029. At the end of the budget speech Labor leader Dean Winter tabled a motion of no confidence in the premier at the end of his budget reply and was supported by Labor, the Greens and other crossbenchers.
“The premier did confidence and supply agreements with the crossbench when he became premier … and it was up to him to hold those agreements together,” Winter said.
“He couldn’t do it. Those agreements have fallen apart.”
A vote of no confidence means the minister can advise the governor to ask someone else, usually the leader of the opposition, to try to form a government. Or, the minister can ask the governor to dissolve parliament and call an election.
Rockcliff chose the latter as he returned to Government House on Thursday evening to ask the state’s chief justice and lieutenant governor about an early election.
The Tasmanian government only went to the polls 15 months ago in an election that returned the Liberals to power in a minority with just 14 of 35 seats in the lower house.
The election could spell trouble for the Tasmanian Devils, who were set to be the 19th team in the AFL, either halting or scrapping the team altogether.
The team is heavily relying on government funds to build the new $945 million stadium in Hobart, which is make or break depending on whether the team goes ahead, as the deal with the AFL stipulates the stadium should be built by 2029 for the team to enter the competition in 2028.
Both Labor and the Liberals are in favour of the new stadium and team; however, some crossbenchers and the Greens are against the stadium construction.
The Greens dangled the idea of forming a minority government with Labor, a possibility Winter has since ruled out.
