‘Jeremy Rockliff will be new Tasmanian premier amid contest deputy role

Jeremy Rockliff will become the island state’s next leader, but there is a two-way tussle for his deputy.

Jeremy Rockliff is seen as a safe choice following the sudden resignation of a second premier in a little more than two years. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Jeremy Rockliff will become Tasmania’s next premier, but there is a two-way tussle for his deputy.

The 52-year-old moderate told The Australian on Wednesday he was “very excited and keen” after multiple sources confirmed he was “locked in” for the Liberal leadership being vacated by outgoing Premier Peter Gutwein.

Michael Ferguson

A Liberal MP told The Australian Mr Rockliff’s only rival – Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson – had decided against a tilt at the top job.

“Michael has been encouraged by a large number of Liberal MPs and business leaders to support Mr Rockliff as premier by becoming his deputy,” the MP said.

“It’s his time to take the role of one of the strongest performers in parliament (deputy premier).”

However, Attorney-General Elise Archer, 51, also wants the deputy’s job, leaving Liberal MPs to choose between two prominent conservatives for the role of second in command.

Ms Archer, from the southern seat of Clark, publicly pitched herself as providing the right geographical and gender counterweight to Mr Rockliff, who is from the northwest seat of Braddon.

“We need a strong leadership team with gender and geographical balance, not only for the long-term future of our party, but more importantly, to continue our work on behalf of all Tasmanians,” Ms Archer said.

“Our entire Liberal team demonstrates an incredibly broad diversity of skills, backgrounds, expertise and gender… Therefore, I would be proud to serve as deputy premier.”

One of the two – Ms Archer or Mr Ferguson, 48 – may withdraw before Friday’s partyroom meeting, if the numbers for the deputy’s job become clear beforehand.

Mr Rockliff is seen as a safe, steady choice following the sudden resignation of a second premier in a little more than two years.

He will need to tackle immediate problems including soaring Covid case numbers, outbreaks in 100 schools, and the need for legislation to remove doubts about the legality of native forest logging.

Elise Archer. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

He will also need to mount a defence to a damning Integrity Commission report on pork barrelling of $21m in grants during the 2018 state election.

Affable and widely respected, Mr Rockliff has been Deputy Premier since the Liberals took power in 2014 and has handled the difficult health portfolio for almost a year and education before that.

Mr Gutwein announced his resignation on Monday, citing burnout.  

Mr Rockliff’s elevation unopposed is a win for the Liberal Party’s moderates.

It will be seen as ensuring the continuation of several of Mr Gutwein’s unfinished reforms, such as a truth and treaty process and ongoing commitment to a commission of inquiry into state mishandling of child abuse allegations.

While a moderate, Mr Rockliff has broad support, coming from a farming background. He previously managed his family’s mixed cropping and prime lamb property in Sassafras, in the state’s rural northwest, but has also worked with Lifeline.

He is married to Sandra, with whom he has three young daughters, Ruby, Lucy and Holly.

Mr Rockliff declined to run for the leadership in January 2020, deferring to Mr Gutwein, and there had been rumours he wanted to quit politics. Those suggestions were dismissed on Tuesday.