Tasmanian Liberals plunged into minority as MPs resign, threaten to kill AFL stadium

The nation’s only remaining Liberal government has been plunged into minority, with two MPs quitting over plans for a $715m Hobart stadium.

Former Liberal members John Tucker and Lara Alexander have resigned and moved to the crossbench over Tasmania’s controversial stadium plan. Picture: Patrick Gee

The nation’s only remaining Liberal government is now hostage to crossbench MPs threatening to kill two of its key initiatives – a new AFL stadium and a second interstate power interconnector.

Liberal MPs John Tucker and Lara Alexander on Friday sensationally quit the Liberal Party to sit as independents, accusing the government they have plunged into minority of having “lost its way”.

While promising confidence, for now, their guarantee on budget supply is limited to funding government services for the next 12 months.

That would appear to place other measures – including any early allocations for the $715m-plus Hobart stadium – in doubt, potentially triggering a crisis if budget bills are amended.

Mr Tucker would not rule out opposing budget measures related to the stadium, saying it was up to Premier Jeremy Rockliff to win people over to the controversial project.

“This isn’t about blocking – it’s about transparency,” Mr Tucker, MP for Lyons told The Australian. “The government must present a strong business case and release the contracts ahead of me offering support for the stadium.

“Lara and I will be making decisions based on the information presented to us. We cannot anticipate what actions or decisions we will make until such time as we have had time to review the documentation.”

In a combined statement, the two rebels – whose concerns about the government’s direction are shared by key figures remaining in the Liberal Party – said the stadium was “the trigger issue” for their resignations.

“However, it is much more than that,” they said. “The stadium plan is the most obvious example of a government which has lost its way. It is considered by most Tasmanians to be a tone-deaf government in denial, prioritising the unreasonable demands of the ‘haves’ ahead of the basic needs of the ‘have-nots’.”

The Liberals, re-elected in May 2021 with 13 seats – a majority of one in the 25 seat House of Assembly – will now have 11 seats, with Labor holding 8, the Greens 2 and crossbenchers 4.

The defection of the two Liberals means the majority of MPs do not support the stadium, a condition of Tasmania gaining the 19th AFL licence.

While most Tasmanians back the new team, many do not support the stadium, believing the cost – which the opposition parties say will exceed $1 billion – cannot be justified during crises in health, housing and cost-of-living.

Some conservative MPs oppose Premier Rockliff’s commitment to ‘progressive’ issues, including a Voice, Treaty and the outlawing of transgender ‘conversion practices’.

Mr Rockliff, ruling out his resignation or an early election, said he would “reach out, across the parliament” to drive forward his agenda but would not backdown.

“I’m not going to be pushed over or pushed in a corner,” he said. “At least I stand for something and am prepared to be accountable for the decisions I make.

“Leadership is about the strong decisions, the tough decisions. It’s about having a go … It’s not about hiding away, being wishy-washy or sitting on the fence about the key issues Tasmanians care about.

“I’ve been let down by colleagues that were elected as Liberals in 2021, but I have a job to do.”

He stood by the decision to fund the new stadium, proposed for Hobart’s Macquarie Point, despite the two MPs arguing the state’s two existing AFL stadiums made the project unnecessary.

“With no stadium there is no (AFL) team, but with the stadium brings broader economic benefits,” he said.

He assured Tasmanians and the business community the government would continue to court investment to the state.

It is unclear if Mr Rockliff’s leadership will survive the turmoil in the longer-term. Treasurer Michael Ferguson is ambitious and comes from the same conservative grouping within the Liberal Party as did the defectors.

However, Mr Ferguson stood alongside Mr Rockliff to publicly pledge ongoing loyalty. “I stand here to support our Premier and to show all Tasmanians that we need to get behind our Premier and stay there,” Mr Ferguson said.

State Labor leader Rebecca White said the government had lost its way and called on Mr Rockliff to recall parliament next week to test confidence. “Labor has a positive plan for Tasmania focused on the challenges in health, housing and with the cost-of-living – which we strongly believe are the right priorities for the state,” Ms White said.

Federal opposition Leader Peter Dutton said there was “no doubt” Mr Rockcliff would receive support in the next election.

“I have known [Jeremy Rockliff] for a long time. I think he’s doing a great job as the Premier of Tasmania,” Mr Dutton told reporters on Friday morning.

“And I am sure at the next state election there will be a lot of support for him. Because I think he has demonstrated as his predecessors had, they’ve been able to manage the economy well in Tasmania.

“The economy in Tasmania under Labor was a complete basket case … There’s no doubt that he’ll deserve support at the time of the next election.”