Jeremy Rockliff, Dean Winter trade barbs in only televised election debate of 2025 campaign

Barbs were traded and shots fired in the only televised leaders’ debate between Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter as they debated stadium, healthcare, Spirits and crossbench deals. Who do you think won? VOTE IN OUR POLL

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Leader of the opposition Dean Winter shake hands prior to the televised debate. Picture: The Mercury / Linda Higginson

Barbs were traded and shots fired in the only televised leaders’ debate between Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter as they debated stadium, healthcare, Spirits and crossbench deals.

Here’s a wrap-up of how the debate went down:

Premier Jeremy Rockliff in the 2025 leaders' debate.

Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockliff won the coin toss and made the opening statement of today’s leadership debate, taking aim at Opposition Leader Dean Winter for forcing an election “nobody wants”.

Mr Winter said Tasmanians had a choice for a “fresh start” under a Labor majority government, and sensationally promised if he did not deliver the 10 TassieDoc clinics pledged if elected he would “resign as premier”.

Mr Rockliff opened by spruiking the government’s economic pathway, emphasising that voters were after “stability and certainty”.

The jibes have started, with Mr Rockliff taking aim at opposition leader Dean Winter over his “inexperience”.

He labelled his no-confidence motion a “selfish grab for power”.

Mr Winter took aim at the government’s “fiscal recklessness”.

“What sort of opposition jut stands idly by and lets the premier get away with such reckless behaviour?” Mr Winter asked.

The debate has now turned to the Spirits – with Premier Rockliff defending his role in what moderator Kieran Gilbert labelled a “debacle”.

“It shouldn’t have had to take a premier of Tasmania to intervene. I have done so,” Mr Rockliff said.

“Yes there’s been some challenges. The buck stops with me and that’s why I’ve intervened.

“This is a huge opportunity for Tasmania.”

Mr Winter accused Mr Rockliff of “gaslighting”.

“Six years delay and $600 million over budget,” he said.

“This is the sort of gaslighting that Tasmanians are sick of.”

Stadium or bust: Where do leaders stand on the Devils’ build?

Both leaders have reaffirmed their support for the controversial Macquarie Point stadium, saying it would serve as a source of hope for young Tasmanians.

But Mr Winter said the issue had “no doubt” divided Tasmania.

“We’re not sacrificing the Tasmanian Devils. It’s been a tragedy that this hasn’t been an issue that’s united us,” he said, adding as condition of the AFL contract, the stadium was “the reality”.

“We’re not reneging on that under any circumstances.”

“That’s great because the Labor Party has had a lot of positions,” Mr Rockliff said.

“Not as many as you,” Mr Winter rebutted.

Opposition Leader Dean Winter in the 2025 leaders' debate.

Mr Winter reiterated he would not secure a deal with the Greens.

“What if the Greens offer you confidence and supply?” Mr Gilbert asked.

“You can’t not accept or accept confidence and supply.

“We’ve repeatedly said we will not do deals with the Greens under any circumstances.

“The people will give the

parliament we will have to work with … and I will do that out of respect.”

Where leaders stand on health

In an election campaign dominated by announcements of health initiatives, the two leaders have started trading barbs on their respective records.

Mr Rockliff said the government was “one committed to healthcare”, highlighting raised investment in women’s health initiatives, the freeing up of thousands of GP appointments and expanding the roles of pharmacists – “a key commitment of ours for a number of years”.

Mr Winter likened Mr Rockliff to “Peter Dutton – pretending that he cared about healthcare”.

“After 10 years deciding he cares in primary healthcare,” he said, issuing a sarcastic “bravo”.

Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter face off in the Sky News and Mercury leaders' debate in Hobart.

Leaders to face off in only televised debate

5AM Wednesday: Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Opposition leader Dean Winter will face off in the only televised debate of the 2025 state election campaign on Wednesday.

The Sky News/Mercury Leaders’ Debate will be moderated by Sky News Australia’s Chief News Anchor Kieran Gilbert and will be broadcast live from Hobart on 12.30pm.

Mercury subscribers will be able to stream the debate live from the Mercury’s website.

Mr Winter said he was looking forward to the event.

“This is a battle of ideas, it’s a contest of ideas, this is about Tasmania’s future when it comes to health care,” he said.

“We’ve got a plan to keep Tasmanians out of hospitals through TassieDocs.

‘When it comes to our economy, we’ve got a plan to make sure we can grow the economy and also fix the budget, Tasmania’s budget is now in serious danger.

“What Jeremy Rockliff has done is taken Tasmania from having no net debt to $13bn worth of net debt in very in a very short space of time.

“It needs a plan to fix it — and that’s why we’ve outlined our plan to save a billion dollars straight away to make sure that every cent of new revenue from a growing economy under Labor goes to paying down the Liberals’ debt.”

Mr Rockliff said he too was looking forward to the event.

“As I’ve travelled around Tasmania, Tasmanians have said to me that they do not want an election.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“They recognise that Dean Winter forced this election on the Tasmanian people with a rush of blood to the head — and his inexperience and his unity with the Greens — to force Tasmania to an election.”

Mr Rockliff said he would be happy to stand on his record.

“Every single day of my premiership, I have been listening and learning and acting on Tasmanians needs, and so we’ve got a very clear plan and a united team, and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.

”What Tasmanians are telling me is that the partnership that we’ve had with the Tasmanian people when it comes to delivering record low unemployment, a strong economy, record participation of women in the workforce, more people employed than ever before, business confidence the highest in the nation.

“People are saying, keep going. We need stability. We need certainty.”

Originally published as Jeremy Rockliff, Dean Winter trade barbs in only televised election debate of 2025 campaign