Independents call on Premier to quit as early election looms
Tasmanians will wait until next week to find out when they will return to the polls after parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday.
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Tasmanians will wait until next week to find out when they will return to the polls after parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday.
Both Houses of Parliament will return on Tuesday to pass emergency budget bills to ensure the state can pay its debts between the end of the financial year and when a new post-election government is formed.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff visited Lieutenant Governor Christopher Shanahan at Government House on Thursday evening.
Mr Rockliff said the process of calling a fresh election would play out over the coming days.
“It’s been quite a day for all of us and for all Tasmanians, and a day that I did not want to come to this point, but it has,” he said.
“But the most important item on my agenda is to ensure that the government can support our hardworking nurses, teachers, police, community safety officers.
“We must ensure that despite Mr Winter’s actions today and the wrecking ball that he has taken to the parliament and effectively the Tasmanian people, that the number one thing on my mind, without any doubt … is to ensure that the government is able to take an appropriation supply bill through both Houses of Parliament that will be on Tuesday next week.
The 2025/26 state budget was handed down only last Thursday. The supply bills have not yet been tabled.
Emergency legislation to fund government services for a few months is being drafted and will be tabled on Tuesday.
“It’s at that point, when the bills go through both Houses of Parliament that I will seek an audience with Her Excellency, the Governor of Tasmania, to call an election,” Mr Rockliff said.
“My most highest priority right now is to ensure that we continue to fund our central services that all Tasmanians need.”
Independent MP Craig Garland called on Mr Rockliff to step aside and let the Liberal Party elect a new leader to serve as premier.
“To do otherwise would be to drag the government down and show Tasmanians the arrogance and ignorance that led to the loss of confidence in the Premier in the first place,” he said.
“If the Liberals are unwilling to form government, I call on the Labor Party to put aside politics for the best interests of Tasmania, and work with myself, and other non-government members to make this parliament work again.
“An election is entirely avoidable, but the responsibility now lies with the Liberal and Labor Party.
”If the major parties aren’t willing to compromise, it shows that Tasmanians must look at Independents and minor parties who have demonstrated they can make minority government work, if the major parties will listen.”
And independent David O’Byrne said he was bewildered at the outcome.
“Nothing in the no-confidence motion passed today will improve any of the issues raised by Labor as a justification for, ostensibly, forcing the Premier to quit so another Liberal can take his place,” he said.
“But whoever the leader of the Liberal Party is, the budget will remain the same, the Spirits are still running late and over budget and the policy to consider selling GBEs will remain the same.
“These are all issues that will need to be dealt with and debated by parliament, whether it’s this parliament or a new one.
“Instead of changing the Liberal leader, Labor’s motion means we are now headed for an election just 12 months after our last election, leaving all these supposedly urgent issues going nowhere.
“Tasmania’s hard-won AFL team and stadium, which will unlock so much economic potential, is now at risk.
“The rest of the country can’t believe what they are seeing. And after more than a decade in politics, neither can I.”
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Originally published as Independents call on Premier to quit as early election looms
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