Ex-Liberal ‘may back Labor’ as Clark proves key

Former Tasmanian Liberal speaker Sue Hickey could back Labor to govern in a hung parliament and would demand a written funding deal in exchange for her support.

Independent Member for Clark, Sue Hickey at Salamanca Place, Hobart, on Sunday. A former Liberal, she would negotiate with both major parties in the event of a hung parliament. Picture: Peter Mathew

Former Tasmanian Liberal speaker Sue Hickey could back Labor to govern in a hung parliament and would demand a written funding deal in exchange for her support.

The Liberal-turned-independent told The Australian she would negotiate with both major parties in such a scenario, with a written deal the price of her support to govern.

“I would be having some heavy negotiations with both sides but whoever I decided to support would have to agree that commitments would be honoured,” Ms Hickey said.

“Any promises — as in building a mental health facility, or 500 (more public) houses — I would make sure was in writing. They would be held to account, with a timeline on it.”

While the Liberals are well ahead in statewide polling, there is no guarantee the party — which governed with a majority of one — can translate this to a larger parliamentary majority.

After spectacularly falling out with Ms Hickey and effectively dumping her from the party, a ­reliance on her support to govern would be a nightmare for the Liberals.

The feisty Ms Hickey is contesting her Hobart-based seat of Clark as an independent, in an electorate shaping as the hardest for psephologists to predict.

If the May 1 state election is tight, the outcome here, in much of Hobart’s southern, northern and western suburbs, could be vital.

At the 2018 state election, Clark (or Denison as it was then named) returned 2 Liberal, 2 Labor and 1 Green (each of Tasmania’s five electorates return five MPs, under Hare Clark proportional representation).

By the end of the last parliament, with Ms Hickey leaving the Liberals and Labor’s Madeleine Ogilvie becoming an independent and then a Liberal, the balance in Clark was effectively: 2 Liberal, 1 Labor, 1 Green and independent Ms Hickey.

Labor and Liberal may lose votes in Clark to Ms Hickey — a “small l” Liberal with “progressive” views — and also to fellow independent, Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston.

Ms Johnston is expected to steal much of the northern suburbs Labor vote previously secured by retired Labor MP Scott Bacon, while Ms Hickey won 29 per cent of Liberal first preferences in 2018. A win for Ms Hickey, who describes the administration of which she was a part as “a do-nothing government”, could restrict the Liberals to just one seat in Clark. A win for Ms Johnston could restrict Labor, or less likely the Liberals, to just one seat.

The Liberals face the uncertainty of whether Ms Ogilvie — as a former Labor MP — can attract Liberal votes. The Liberals’ two other high-profile, well-funded candidates — Elise Archer and Simon Behrakis — compete for a similar conservative vote.

Ella Haddad is Labor’s only surviving “sitting” MP, and its other four candidates are relatively unknown. One of these, Sam Mitchell, last week apologised after The Australian revealed he had made vulgar Facebook posts.

The Greens polled 17.5 per cent in Clark in 2018. As well as popular leader Cassy O’Connor, they are running well-known conservationist Vica Bayley.

Ms Hickey, who famously “stole” the speakership from a Liberal after securing support from Labor and the Greens, said the Liberal Party “don’t care about people in need”.

She said her advantage over Ms Johnston as a would-be independent was, unlike Ms Johnston who had not served in parliament, she had spent the past three years combating “political spin and lies, and seeing how the system works”.