New Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter warns Anthony Albanese not to curtail salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour

Tasmania’s new Labor leader is on a collision course with the Albanese government over salmon farming, vowing to oppose any reduction in fish pens to save an endangered fish.

Tasmanian Labor leader Dean Winter with wife Allison and children Harriet and George. Picture: Matthew Denholm

Tasmania’s new Labor leader is on a collision course with the Albanese government over salmon farming, vowing to oppose any reduction in fish pens in Macquarie Harbour to save an endangered fish.

In his first interview after being elected leader this week, Dean Winter told The Weekend Australian there was no case to reduce stocking levels in the western harbour, saying it would cost jobs and devastate towns.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is considering a rethink of approval for salmon farms in Macquarie Harbour, following scientific advice of “catastrophic” impacts on the endangered Maugean skate.

In November, Ms Plibersek warned that measures foreshadowed so far to improve the health of the remote waterway “will not be enough” and that “lower” ­salmon stock loads “will be ­important”.

However Mr Winter, who told The Weekend Australian he wanted to place regional voters at the heart of his bid to rebuild Labor, flatly rejected this.

“I don’t believe that there’s any need to be altering stocking levels,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, I think the industry continues to improve.

“I think it’s world-leading already and I strongly support the industry being able to continue its work in Macquarie Harbour.”

Mr Winter met salmon workers and toured the harbour on his first full day as Labor leader on Thursday, saying this was to “reassure the workers that we’re on their side”.

“The aquaculture industry has been the most successful industry in Tasmania over the last 30 years; the salmon industry has grown and actually replaced a lot of the jobs … lost in other industries,” he said. “So it needs to be supported.

“My message to the federal government is … that these jobs are critical to local communities and we need to ensure that we are giving that industry the certainty that it needs.

“Industries such as aquaculture and forestry have been a success in this state because they’ve been able to balance community expectations, the environment and jobs pretty well.

“That’s the sort of approach we need to continue.”

The 38-year-old right faction MP also reversed the party’s former opposition to nuclear sub­marines visiting Tasmanian ports, outlined by former leader Rebecca White only weeks ago.

“I have great faith in Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese to make the right decision for us,” Mr Winter said. “And I wouldn’t be proposing any different rules or laws here in Tasmania when it comes to nuclear submarines.”

The state’s minority Liberal government on Friday secured the final promise of confidence and supply it needed from former Labor leader turned independent MP for Franklin David O’Byrne.

While promising Labor would not play a destabilising role in the hung parliament, Mr Winter said Mr O’Byrne’s actions in backing a Liberal government would alienate his supporters.

“People in the electorate of Franklin when I spoke to them were not impressed with the behaviour of the Rockliff government,” Mr Winter said. “I think a lot of his (Mr O’Byrne’s) supporters would find it difficult to understand how he was going to support them (the Liberals).”

Mr O’Byrne defended his pledge of confidence and supply, noting Labor had decided not to try to form a government after the March 23 election.

“I will not be signing up to any agreement that will limit my ability to stand up for what matters and fight for the better outcomes Tasmanians deserve,” he said.

During the campaign, Mr O’Byrne – forced out of caucus over revelations about his conduct towards a female employee when he was a union leader – did not rule out a later return to the party.

A Labor Party-commissioned report found Mr O’Byrne’s conduct towards a female employee in 2007-08 was “inappropriate” and “wrong” but did not breach party sexual harassment policy.

New Labor leader Dean Winter is flanked by party MPs as he speaks to the media on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Wednesday.

However, Mr Winter said Mr O’Byrne, who retains support among some senior Labor figures, had sealed his fate.

“He’s been elected as an independent and I think that’s where his future lies,” he said.

Mr Winter, who entered parliament only in 2021 after national intervention to overrule left power­brokers blocking his pre­selection, said Labor would not govern with the Greens or Jacqui Lambie Network, even if the Liberal government fell over.

He said both the Greens and some within the JLN were opposed to the salmon and forestry industries and any alliance with them shook business confidence.

“Had we done a deal with the Greens, we probably could be in government,” he said.

“But regional Tasmanians are too important to us, jobs are too important to us, to do any sort of deal like that with the Greens again.”

He blamed Labor’s loss at four consecutive state elections on the party’s 2010-14 power-sharing alliance with the Greens.

“Tasmanians, I think, have lost a bit of confidence in us,” Mr Winter said.

“This … goes back to the deal that was done with the Greens back in 2010. We need to rebuild the trust.”