The price of power: ex-Lambies demand staff, budget reform
Tasmania’s minority Liberal government will survive in the wake of the Jacqui Lambie Network implosion, but supply and confidence deals with the independent MPs will come at a price.
Tasmania’s minority Liberal government will need to maintain generous staffing and resourcing for two former Lambie independents, and consider budget and tax reforms, to secure their vital ongoing support to govern.
As was exclusively forecast in The Weekend Australian, two balance-of-power Jacqui Lambie Network state MPs on Saturday parted ways with their party, creating uncertainty for the Rockliff government.
The two now independent MPs – Rebekah Pentland and Miriam Beswick – on Sunday restated their willingness to sign new confidence and supply agreements to keep the Liberals in office.
“We are committed to providing the certainty and stability Tasmania deserves,” the two MPs said in a statement. “We will continue to offer the Rockliff government supply and confidence.
“We’ll sign a new agreement with the Premier in the coming days and share that agreement publicly once it’s finalised.”
However, the new deal will come at a financial and policy price for the government, which since the March state election has governed with just 14 of the 35 seats in the House of Assembly.
Ms Beswick told The Australian while nothing was set in concrete, the two MPs would expect ongoing staff and resourcing, allocated at party-status levels in the now defunct JLN support deal, signed in April. As well, they would want a recommitment to reviews of Right to Information laws and the state Integrity Commission.
The two also wanted the freedom to vote for parliamentary motions binding on the government – a key prohibition under the previous JLN deal.
Ms Beswick, MP for Braddon, said the new agreement could also potentially advance budget responsibility measures recommended by independent economist Saul Eslake’s recent review of state finances.
These include a legislative requirement for political parties to indicate how they will pay for election promises and to publish costings at least nine days before polling day.
Ms Beswick said she also wanted the government to adopt Mr Eslake’s call for a Parliamentary Budget Office to provide independent budgetary advice and costings to MPs. “That could be something that we put into the next agreement,” she said.
In addition, she would consider raising concerns some large mainland-based firms may be avoiding full payroll tax obligations for work-from-home staff.
It is uncertain if a new agreement will be needed with the remaining JLN MP, Andrew Jenner, who appears to be taking a tougher line against the government, including flagging support for a no-confidence motion in Treasurer Michael Ferguson.
Ms Beswick said she and Ms Pentland, likely to sign a single new agreement, wanted sufficient resources to ensure they could play an active parliamentary role.
“We work really hard – I read every piece of legislation and Bek is on every committee,” she said. “We are very aware of the need to protect the staff that we have.”
However, she stressed the two were taking a constructive approach to negotiations and wanted to provide stability. “We’ve already had a chat with the Premier, we want to get it going,” she said. “We’re not going to play silly buggers with it. We have got a really good working relationship with the government. It seems they take our issues seriously.”
Ms Beswick said she and Ms Pentland did not want to “rush” a new agreement, which the government will want to ink as soon as possible, and well before parliament resumes on September 10.
Mr Rockliff did not comment on Sunday but cabinet minister Felix Ellis confirmed the government was “working closely with all members of the crossbench and will be developing agreements over coming days”.
Labor leader Dean Winter expressed concern at instability further eroding business confidence.
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