Neither leader landed a killer blow but Rebecca White probably won the day, with her call for voters to forget one year of COVID-19 and judge the Liberals on seven years in office.
White, who has recovered well after a disastrous start to Labor’s campaign — caused by rogue candidates and party infighting — appears to have momentum going into the last week before Saturday’s election.
Having successfully established health — the government’s Achilles’ heel — as a key issue, White used the final debate to urge voters to see past Premier Peter Gutwein’s COVID popularity. “This election is not about COVID or the last year,” she said.
“It’s about the last seven years and judging the government on that record.”
White also showed her feisty side, at one point saying of Gutwein: “This man should resign today.” On another occasion: “He needs to go back to school.”
Gutwein scored points, too, on rubbery Labor policy costings, and again hammered his line about Tasmania being “one of the safety places on the planet” (thanks to his COVID management, in case you haven’t got the message by now).
COVID saviour or not, there is growing sense that this tired line from Gutwein may not be enough to secure the Liberals the 13 seats it needs for a third majority government. Ironically, if the Liberals fall short of the magic 13 seats, it may be down to Sue Hickey — the former Speaker and jilted Liberal — winning as an independent in Clark.
If the Liberals fail to pick up extra seats in strongholds Bass and Braddon, a Hickey win in Clark at a Liberal’s expense would likely leave Gutwein stranded on 12 seats. That would make his lunge to an early election appear ill-judged, to say the least.
Labor appears unlikely to improve on its 2018 performance of 10 seats and is vulnerable to losing a seat in Clark to yet another independent, Kristie Johnston.
Failing to secure a majority at three straight elections — 2014, 2018 and 2021 — should force some serious soul-searching by Labor, including federally.
1000 days: Albanese enters the election twilight zone
Anthony Albanese, who on Friday marks the 1000-day mark since the 2022 poll, has entered the election twilight zone with one thing on his mind – beating Peter Dutton and becoming the first Prime Minister since John Howard in 1998 to win a second term.
Don’t get into bed with ALP, teals told
Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie said he would ensure he had the ‘freedom of manoeuvre’ in the next term and ruled out striking a deal with Labor as he had done with the Gillard government.