‘World’s most over-governed place’ facing ‘chaos’, says former Tasmanian Liberal leader Bob Cheek

How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? It’s hard to say but one thing is certain: it takes more in Tasmania than anywhere else.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, right, with Elphinstone Group founder Dale Elphinstone in Burnie on Friday. Picture: Simon McGuire

How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? It’s hard to give an exact number but one thing is certain: it takes more in Tasmania than anywhere else around the nation.

A Weekend Australian analysis of the number of MPs per head of population reveals Tasmania, after increasing the size of its lower house at next month’s state election, is the nation’s most governed jurisdiction.

After the House assembly ­increases from 25 to 35 members at the March 23 poll, the island will have 67 state and federal politicians – or 11.7 for every 100,000 people.

Queensland, which also will go to an election this year, has a population about 10 times that of Tasmania’s and gross state product about 11 times larger – yet has just twice as many federal and state MPs combined.

NSW is Australia’s least governed jurisdiction per capita, with 2.3 MPs per 100,000 people, followed by Queensland (2.4) and Victoria (2.6).

Only the Northern Territory comes close to Tasmania, at 11.4 MPs per 100,000 people.

Tasmanian Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff was the architect of returning the assembly to 35 seats, a number that existed ­before 1998.

Mr Rockliff and supporters of the move argue it is needed to ­improve functioning of parliamentary committees, increase the ministerial talent pool and ensure a healthy backbench.

However, former Liberal ­leader Bob Cheek, who crossed the floor to vote to reduce the house to 25, ultimately convincing then Liberal premier Tony Rundle to adopt the move, is horrified.

“Tasmania is the most over-governed place in the world,” Mr Cheek said.

He believes that when the state’s 29 local councils are added to the equation, the figure is close to one politician for every 1500 people. “I reckon we’ll have one for every household pretty soon – it’s complete and utter madness,” he said.

As well as a waste of money, Mr Cheek believes the switch back to 35 assembly MPs will create chaos and elect more “ratbags”.

This is because it lowers the quota needed for election under the state’s Hare-Clark proportional representation system from 16.7 per cent of the vote to just 12.5 per cent.

“Putting another 10 people in parliament is not going to necessarily increase the talent,” Mr Cheek said. “More is not necessarily better – you can get 10 more duds.

“The quota coming down ­pretty much ensures you’re going to get five to seven independents and Greens. He (Rockliff) is only going to get about another one or two (Liberals).

“We’ve had 25 years of relatively stable government – from (Labor premiers) Bacon and Lennon to (Liberal premiers) Hodgman, Gutwein and Rockliff – and they’ve thrown all that away. It’s absolute madness that is going to throw us into chaos.”

While Mr Cheek is no longer a Liberal Party member, some ­senior party figures agree with his assessment, believing Mr Rockliff’s “captain’s pick” may keep the party out of majority government for many years.

Former Tasmanian Liberal leader Bob Cheek says Tasmania is the ‘most over-governed place in the world’ and needs to reduce, not increase, its number of politicians. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The Premier said the need for a larger assembly – supported by Labor and the Greens – was well documented and accepted.

“The parliament is too small – what it (an extra 10 MPs) will bring is a greater diversity (of MPs from) across Tasmania,” Mr Rockliff said. “It will provide greater workings of the parliament and broader representation.”

State Treasury estimates the extra 10 MPs will cost taxpayers $7.9m extra in the first year, and $7.2m extra each year thereafter, while the Tasmanian Electoral Commission estimates it will cost an extra $100,000 each election.

Mr Cheek, Liberal leader from August 2001 to July 2002, does not believe MPs are overworked.

“Committees were usually looking for something to do and while the premier and ministers work hard, the others don’t,” he said. “People were just twiddling their thumbs.”

Even though the shift from 25 to 35 seats ultimately cost him his own seat, Mr Cheek believed 25 was best, minimising the prospects of hung parliaments.

“It will never go back again – all that work 25 years ago has just been wasted,” he said. “This is just politicians pandering to politicians. It’s an ego trip for them.”

Instead of more MPs, he ­believes Tasmania should abolish its 15-member upper house, particularly given a trend towards party dominance diminishing the “house of review”.