‘Lambies’ secure finances, stadium reviews in return for backing Liberals to govern in Tasmania

An independent review of Tasmania’s finances, including the Hobart AFL stadium, is part of a suite of measures agreed to by state Liberals to secure backing from Jacqui Lambie Network MPs.

JLN state MPs Miriam Beswick, Andrew Jenner and Rebekah Pentland. Picture: Matthew Denholm

An independent review of Tasmania’s finances - including the Hobart AFL stadium – is part of a suite of measures agreed to by the state Liberals to secure backing from Jacqui Lambie Network MPs.

A “Confidence and Stability Agreement” delivers some stability to the Liberal minority government, while committing it to closing a youth detention centre and reviewing the state’s anti-corruption body and right to information laws.

Released on Wednesday, the deal assures the fledgling JLN’s three MPs of funding as an official parliamentary party, as well as four extra staff members.

It means the Liberals – who will have just 14 of the House of Assembly’s 35 seats following the March 23 state election – need to lock-in the support of just one of the three independents to form government.

All three independents have indicated they will at least informally provide confidence and supply, but negotiations are ongoing to determine whether one or more will strike a more stable formal deal.

Mr Rockliff – whose party spent the state election campaign attacking the JLN as “anti-worker and pro-Greens” – praised the three new MPs for their “productive and collaborative approach” to the hung parliament.

“All parties have entered into this agreement with goodwill and trust, and I am confident that this agreement will provide the long-term certainty and stability the Tasmanian people expect,” the Premier said.

The proposal for the new Macquarie Point Stadium. Picture: Stadia Precinct Consortia

The deal leaves the JLN MPs – Rebekah Pentland, Andrew Jenner and Miriam Beswick – free to back their own and opposition and crossbench legislation, and motions that are not binding on the government.

They will, however, back the government on all binding motions and confidence and censure votes “except in cases of malfeasance or corruption”.

The independent review of state finances is to take less than six months and “include financial modelling” behind the proposed Hobart AFL stadium.

Jacqui Lambie has attacked the project, expected to cost more than $1 billion, but Mr Jenner this week said her state MPs “want to get something up and running”, as long it did not unduly burden future generations.

Also on Wednesday, Mr Rockliff announced his new cabinet and the Labor opposition – as forecast by The Australian – selected 38-year-old Dean Winter as its new leader.

The Premier has brought two newcomers into cabinet – former federal minister and prominent conservative Eric Abetz, in Business, Industry and Resources, and former upper house MP Jane Howlett in Primary Industries and Water, and Racing.

Adding to speculation about the future of the AFL stadium, a previous dedicated Stadia portfolio has been axed.

Mr Rockliff will add to his workload, taking on a new portfolio of Trade and Major Investment, while retaining Tourism and Hospitality. Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson remains Treasurer.

Mr Winter promised to re-establish Labor as “the party of jobs”, and to hold the Liberals to account.

The right faction MP with only three years in Parliament said Labor needed to re-engage with voters, after losing its fourth consecutive state election on March 23.

“We have to accept that we need to change, because what we’ve been doing hasn’t been delivering Labor government,” Mr Winter said.

The son of a miner and a nurse, Mr Winter vowed to pursue the Liberal minority government over its response to the state’s child sex abuse inquiry, accusing it of appearing to “hide” people from scrutiny.

He will on Thursday head to Macquarie Harbour, on the West Coast, to pledge Labor’s support for the aquaculture industry, amid concerns the federal government may curtail fish farming in the harbour to save an endangered fish.