What the major candidates have to say in their last pitch for the state election
In the final hours before Tasmanians hit the polling booths, candidates from the major parties have given their final pitch to the state on why they deserve to be elected. What they have to say.
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After a decision on June 11 by the Tasmanian Governor to grant Premier Jeremy Rockliff an early election, parties and candidates have been eagerly campaigning to become a part of the Tasmanian parliament. Here are the last pitches from candidates for polling day.
Last stand for Labor in snap election
Labor leader Dean Winter made his final push for votes in Ravenswood in the state’s north on Friday afternoon.
Surrounded by candidates and volunteers, Mr Winter said Labor was a “fresh start” for Tasmania.
“That means access to free bulk billing GPs in a town and suburb where Tasmanians actually live, that means a plan to fix the budget, it means a plan for more housing and a plan for real action on the cost of living relief,” Mr Winter said.
One of the significant announcements made by the Labor team over the course of the campaign has been Tassie Docs where GP’s bulk bill services, there will be 10 locations across the state.
Mr Winter’s no-confidence motion in early June led to the election just 14 months after the 20224 state election where the Liberal’s won with a minority government -a key factor was $13 million’s worth of net debt.
He said Labor “stood up to a premier who had a reckless plan for Tasmania’s future.”
“We have to win for Tasmanians,” Mr Winter said.
“We can’t afford them [Liberals] to send our state broke.”
With just a day left, Mr Winter said he was “confident” Tasmanians were looking for change.
Mr Winter said a should Labor win a minority, they would not make deals with the Tasmanian Greens.
“We could have done a deal with the Greens six weeks ago and we’d already be in government,” he said.
“We don’t do deals with the Greens.”
Mr Winter said Labor would work with whatever parliament the Tasmanian voters decided.
“I’ll respect the vote of the Tasmanian people but I want to provide a firm Labor government that delivers our Labor policies, values for Tasmanian regional communities, people all over the state that are relying on a government to give them a fresh start.”
Greens aim for balance of power as polls point to hung parliament
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff has capped off the party’s election campaign by condemning the proposed Macquarie Point stadium and saying that Tasmanians had expressed “loud and clear” their opposition to the project.
Speaking to reporters near the site of the planned stadium a day out from the election, Dr Woodruff said voters had “overwhelmingly” voiced their antipathy towards the development when speaking to doorknocking Greens candidates over the course of the campaign.
“They want the money to go into health and housing, they want us to protect the environment. People have been talking to the Greens about these issues non-stop for the last six weeks,” she said.
The Greens are hoping to retain their five incumbent members in the House of Assembly and are aiming to pick up an additional seat, with the minor party appearing optimistic that its lead Braddon candidate, environmental lawyer Vanessa Bleyer, can perform strongly in the notoriously anti-Green electorate.
With polls pointing to the likelihood of another hung parliament, the Greens and independents could again enjoy the balance of power.
“A minority parliament is good for democracy and it’s fantastic for getting real outcomes for Tasmanians,” Dr Woodruff said.
“So it would give us an opportunity as the Greens in the balance of power to fight really hard to make sure the stadium doesn’t get built, to put money into health and housing and to protect the environment. That’s what we’ve told Tasmanians we’ll do, and that is our promise, that we will go back and fight for those things.”
Dr Woodruff said she was “feeling really positive” about the campaign the party had run, adding that she was “so proud” of the Greens’ policy announcements.
“We’ve worked really hard to represent Tasmanians,” she said.
“When people hear what the Greens say, they know that we don’t change our mind, we won’t back down.”
Liberals gunning for a majority government on election eve
The Liberal’s are gunning for a majority government with the Premier taking aim at “radical left-wing” independents, Labor and the Greens on election eve.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the parliament needed maturity, stability, leadership and a clear plan forward.
He said he was proud of all the Liberal candidates across Tasmania and glad to have two “very experienced” parliamentarians in former federal members Bridget Archer and Gavin Pearce on the ticket.
Despite polling looking like Tasmania will have another minority government, Mr Rockliff and minister Felix Ellis said only a majority Liberal government would provide stability.
Mr Ellis said the Liberals would work with “sensible independents” but “single issue independents” were a “recipe for disaster”.
“Often it’s the anti everything brigade that is trying to hold back progress and hold back jobs in our community.
“We are very focused on the overall outcome for Tasmanians who want a growing economy, who want strong business confidence, who want essential services they can rely on,” Mr Ellis said.
“Everyone has the right to put their hand up and seek the support of the community, but let’s be very clear, a record number of independents has meant that we’ve had a near record short parliament.”
Mr Ellis rubbished the suggestion that the election was caused by his own party leader not stepping down, as is convention.
“This is about the fact that Jeremy Rockliff is popular and trusted in our community, and Dean Winter knew that he couldn’t beat him in a fair fight.”
Mr Rockliff said his government had implemented four successive “100 day plans” and outlined what the Liberals planned to deliver in the first 100 days of a new government, if re-elected.
That included setting up TasInsure, ensuring the breakfast club is rolled out, moving forward with the strategic agricultural plan and instituting a minister for the ageing.
He said it was “vital” to push toward a majority Liberal government “so we can get on with the job, and finish the job we were elected to do for Tasmanians back in March”.
Mr Rockliff was “pleased” with the election campaign but he said the vote was “going to be close”.
He said Tasmania “could not afford” a Labor-Green government which would put at risk the progress from the last 11 years.
On the last day of the election campaign Mr Rockliff was at Harvest Moon in Forth with Ms Archer and Mr Pearce.
Harvest Moon employs more than 400 people and processes 20,000 tonnes of onions for export and domestic consumption annually.
‘We are very proud to always back our farmers, always back our miners, always back our salmon farmers, our forestries and those of course employed in our tourism industry,” Mr Rockliff said.
He said he was so proud of what Tasmanians had achieved over the past 11 years of a Liberal government.
Originally published as What the major candidates have to say in their last pitch for the state election
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