Jeremy Rockliff, Dean Winter under mounting pressure to prevent early state election

Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter are being urged to take two different courses of action amid Tasmania’s political crisis – both of which could prevent an early election.

Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter on a Metro bus with Byron Cubit of the RTBU and Labor transport spokeswoman Meg Brown. Picture: Linda Higginson

Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Opposition Leader Dean Winter are facing growing calls to prevent an early state election, with each being urged to take different courses of action that could remove the need for a fresh poll.

After state parliament reconvenes on Tuesday to pass crucial supply bills, Mr Rockliff has said he will visit Government House to ask Governor Barbara Baker to approve his election request.

It comes in the wake of a successful no-confidence motion in the Premier, moved by Labor and backed by the Greens and key independents. Despite this, Mr Rockliff has refused to resign and says he has no choice but to send Tasmanians back to the ballot box just sixteen months after the last election was held.

Tasmanian Governor Her Excellency Barbara Baker with Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

However, the Governor is not necessarily obliged to accept the Premier’s request and could ask that he stand aside to make way for a new Liberal leader.

She could also tell Mr Winter to test the numbers on the floor of the House of Assembly and gauge whether he can form a government in his own right.

The major parties have accused each other of bringing on an early election, with the Liberals claiming Labor’s no-confidence motion is to blame, while Labor says the government’s perceived mismanagement of the budget forced the Opposition’s hand.

Mr Rockliff said on Sunday that he “did not want an election” and had instead hoped the parliament could “continue in a sensible way that has been working well by any objective analysis”.

“This is a parliament that was elected back in March 2024 and a parliament that has largely been working well all but for Dean Winter’s selfish grab for power,” he said.

Mr Winter has implored Mr Rockliff to resign and thus remove the need for an election.

Leader of the Opposition Dean Winter. Picture: Linda Higginson

“He’s the one forcing Tasmanians to an early election, despite the calls from business [leaders] saying, ‘Please don’t do this. Do the right thing’. This Premier is calling an early election. This is all on him,” Mr Winter said.

But Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff has written to the Labor leader offering him confidence and supply on behalf of the minor party if he was to attempt to form a new government.

Mr Winter would need the support of three more crossbenchers in order to govern but the Greens say a viable pathway exists.

Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley said both Mr Rockliff and Mr Winter had made “an active choice” to send Tasmanians to the polls.

“They both have options. Let’s be clear, Jeremy Rockliff has options about his leadership and what the Liberal Party could do to avoid an election, and similarly, Dean Winter has options,” he said.

Greens deputy leader Vica Bayley.

Mr Bayley told the Opposition Leader to “pick up the phone” and discuss the Greens’ offer of confidence and supply.

However, the major parties each appear to have entered campaign mode before the starting gun has even been fired, with the Premier ditching a politically unpalatable review aimed at identifying state assets for privatisation and announcing former federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer as a state candidate in waiting.

Labor, meanwhile, has ramped up its attacks on the Liberals’ record in government, claiming Mr Rockliff can’t be trusted to walk away from his privatisation agenda.

Standing alongside Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Byron Cubit and Labor transport spokeswoman Meg Brown on Sunday, Mr Winter extolled the virtues of Metro Tasmania’s public bus network and warned of increased fares and inferior service if the state-owned company was sold to private interests.

Originally published as Jeremy Rockliff, Dean Winter under mounting pressure to prevent early state election