The Mercury Big Issues survey 2023: Tasmania’s most admired politicians revealed

A survey has revealed the state’s most admired politicians, with one MP attracting a quarter of the vote and independents making a particularly strong showing.

Rob Inglis

@rg_inglis

3 min read

January 5, 2024 - 12:00PM

Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Rob Burnett

Tasmania

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Premier Jeremy Rockliff has topped a list of Tasmania’s most admired politicians, despite a difficult year which saw his government plunged into minority amid Liberal infighting over the proposed Macquarie Point stadium.

The Mercury’s recent Big Issues survey asked participants which Tasmanian politician – state or federal – they most admired. A quarter of the 2037 respondents named Mr Rockliff, who attracted 502 votes.

Second to the Premier was independent Clark MP Andrew Wilkie (361 votes), followed by Burnie-based independent senator Jacqui Lambie (186 votes).

In the same survey last year, Mr Wilkie was number one on the list, with Mr Rockliff in second place, and Senator Lambie in third.

Premier of Tasmania Jeremy Rockliff at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Political analyst Richard Herr said he was not surprised by the Premier’s popularity.

“He has been Premier in very difficult times and he’s handled it with a great deal of grace and compassion,” Prof Herr said.

“And he hasn’t resiled from making decisions even though some of those decisions haven’t been popular. So he’s shown some steel, as well as compassion and concern.

“It’s the sort of combination, I think, any leader would like to achieve and, from what I’ve seen over the past year, he’s managed to do it.”

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. SEPTEMBER 5, 2023: Andrew Wilkie during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Labor leader Rebecca White polled just 43 votes, while Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff polled 29.

Prof Herr said Ms White had often struggled with gaining recognition in the electorate.

“In a lot of ways, she is like Jeremy Rockliff. She’s shown compassion and she’s shown grace under fire and the rest of it,” he said.

“But she doesn’t appear to have had a strong grip on her party. And I think that’s been a difficulty for her. It’s a difficulty for her party, as well. They haven’t made it easy for her.”

Senator Jacqui Lambie. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Independent Franklin MP David O’Byrne, who was briefly Labor leader in 2021, garnered 68 votes in the Mercury’s survey, followed by independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb (59 votes) and Bass Liberal MP Bridget Archer (49 votes).

Psephologist Kevin Bonham said independents like Mr Wilkie, Senator Lambie, and Ms Webb were popular in the South of the state because of their “straight-talking” and advantage of being “outside of major party hackery”.

However, he said the results needed to be treated with caution due to the survey being an opt-in poll and the fact it likely skewed to the Mercury’s southern readership, which tended to be politically engaged.

Asked whether they planned to vote for an independent candidate at the next election rather than one of the established parties, 41 per cent of 2599 respondents to the question answered ‘yes’.

Political analyst Kevin Bonham.

Prof Herr said this showed there was “strong dissatisfaction with the political parties, with their agendas, with their competence and management”.

“People are saying, ‘Ideally, if I could, I’d like another way’,” he said.

Three-quarters of respondents said they did not believe the Labor Opposition was a viable alternative to the Liberal government, which Prof Herr said was concerning for Ms White, given how long the Liberals had been in power for.

“It is probably overstated but, on the other hand, if a government was going for its fourth term and the Opposition hasn’t been able to put itself into at least a competitive position, the party has not used the time in opposition wisely, at the end of the day,” he said.

THE MERCURY BIG ISSUES SURVEY – MOST ADMIRED POLITICIANS (STATE AND FEDERAL):

Premier Jeremy Rockliff (Braddon Liberal MHA): 502 votes

Andrew Wilkie (Clark independent MHR): 361 votes

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmanian independent senator): 186 votes

David O’Byrne (Franklin independent MHA): 68 votes

Meg Webb (independent Nelson MLC): 59 votes

Bridget Archer (Bass Liberal MHR): 49 votes

Ruth Forrest (independent Murchison MLC): 44 votes

Opposition Leader Rebecca White (Lyons Labor MHA): 43 votes

Julie Collins (Franklin Labor MHR): 36 votes

Dean Winter (Franklin Labor MHA): 35 votes

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff (Franklin MHA): 29 votes