Premier Steven Marshall refuses to guarantee Rob Lucas will stay as Treasurer until next election in 2022
The Premier has failed to guarantee Rob Lucas will continue as Treasurer until the next election — which is when he has said he will retire from politics.
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Premier Steven Marshall has refused to guarantee Treasurer Rob Lucas will remain in the post until the next election, as their political battles over land tax continue.
In response to a question from the Opposition in Parliament about Mr Lucas’ future, Mr Marshall said: “I’m not in the habit of speculating regarding what will happen in the Cabinet.”
“In the fullness of time, we will make it clear exactly and precisely what we will be doing,” Mr Marshall said.
“I’m sure that those opposite would like to start this game. I’m not going to start this about the Cabinet, and who’s in the Cabinet (and) how long they’re going to be in Cabinet.
“This is a decision that we will make. Mr Lucas is doing an outstanding job.”
Mr Lucas has previously said he will retire at the next election, after 39 years in Parliament.
Mr Marshall has indicated he wants Mr Lucas to deliver all four budgets in the current political cycle.
In a previous Question Time when asked about Mr Lucas’ future, Mr Marshall joked: “He has a high-sugar diet. I’ll be surprised if he makes it till the end of the month”.
On Wednesday night Mr Lucas said: “Given my age and the Premier’s public comments about my high-sugar diet, I’m sure he’s concerned I might not live until 2022!”
Senior Liberal sources have told The Advertiser that no Cabinet reshuffle is imminent.
However, there has been widespread speculation within the party since last year’s election about who will replace Mr Lucas and when.
Options are said to be Transport Minister Stephan Knoll, Education Minister John Gardner and Environment and Water Minister David Speirs.
In the Liberal Party, the leader has complete authority over Cabinet reshuffles.
Some MPs are speculating Mr Marshall, who has not lost a minister since his election win 18 months ago, may reshuffle late next year or just ahead of the 2022 election.
MPs expect Mr Lucas’ eventual exit to trigger a wider reshuffle that could bring new talent off the backbench to replace ministers considered to be underperforming.
In Question Time on Wednesday, the Opposition peppered ministers including Vickie Chapman and Rachel Sanderson about their support for the Government’s land tax package.
All who were asked said they supported it.
Mr Knoll said the Opposition did not appear to understand how Cabinet solidarity works, and that: “On this side of the House, we believe in structural tax reform”.
Opposition treasury spokesman Stephen Mullighan said it appeared that Mr Marshall may be preparing to “make Rob Lucas the scapegoat for his government’s problems”.
“It’s clear the Marshall Liberal Government is under incredible pressure amid the land tax fiasco and dramatic declines in the state’s economy,” Mr Mullighan said.