Giddings to axe Greens in days

TASMANIAN Premier Lara Giddings is expected to dump state Labor's alliance with the Greens as early as Monday.

Lara Giddings' decision came as the ALP resolved to end its power-sharing alliance with the Greens ...

TASMANIAN Premier Lara Giddings is expected to dump state Labor's alliance with the Greens and name a March election date as early as Monday.

The moves follow revelations in The Australian this week that the ALP has resolved to end its power-sharing alliance with the Greens and to never to repeat it.

While Ms Giddings has refused to comment on whether, when and how she will implement the split demanded by the party, she is now expected to make an announcement on Monday or early next week.

The Weekend Australian understands she will dissolve the alliance, removing two Greens MPs from her cabinet, and name an election date in March as previously flagged. Ms Giddings's hand has been forced by increasing uncertainty, which yesterday saw Greens leader and Education Minister Nick McKim admitting he was unsure about his future in cabinet.

When he was asked whether he would still be minister this time next week, he replied: "I really don't know."

Mr McKim, who is also state Greens leader, would neither confirm nor deny that he had sought assurances from Ms Giddings on the future of the alliance that guarantees him and fellow Green Cassy O'Connor their cabinet posts. While the alliance, struck in the wake of a hung parliament after the March 2010 state election, has been relatively stable, it has seen Labor slump to historic lows electorally.

The ALP managed 22 per cent in the latest opinion poll, in late November, while the Liberal opposition under Will Hodgman has soared in popularity with a promise to govern in majority or not at all. With parliament not scheduled to sit again before an election due in March, Labor no longer needs the alliance, with its promise of support on votes of confidence.

Labor's rank and file, unionists and some MPs believe a complete break with the Greens must occur before the election is called, to persuade disaffected Labor voters they can return to the fold without Greens returning to cabinet.

Mr McKim hit back at Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes, who yesterday hailed the looming split and described Mr McKim's ministerial performance as "atrocious".

"Mr Howes is a fly-in, fly-out seagull who cares far more about his political career than he does about the future of Tasmania," Mr McKim said.

Australia's first Greens state minister, Mr McKim said he still had programs to announce, including a scheme to better deliver college courses to regional high schools. He and Ms O'Connor were getting on with their jobs, despite the uncertainty. "All we can concentrate on as the Greens are the things that we can control."

In the past 18 months, there has been a repudiation of such power-sharing deals by Labor in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia.