Sue Hickey is fed up being blamed for early election and says the blame lays at the feet of the Premier

Speaker Sue Hickey has had enough of being blamed for the state going to an election a year early, saying the Premier “engineered this for his own ends”.

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THE Gutwein government’s grip on power should have been tested on the floor of state parliament before an election was called, Sue Hickey says.

Ms Hickey, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, said she is fed up at being used as the reason for the state going to the polls almost a year early.

Premier Peter Gutwein has said the reasoning for the early election was because the Liberals had lost their majority in the house.

The now-independent candidate for Clark said she had promised the government confidence and supply even after a bitter falling out with the Liberals after Mr Gutwein told her she would not be endorsed at the next election.

Ms Hickey said she put this promise in writing, sending it to Mr Gutwein and Governor Kate Warner on March 25, the day before the election was called.

Sitting independent Madeleine Ogilvie was later unveiled as a Liberal candidate.

Speaker Sue Hickey and Premier Peter Gutwein during Question Time in the House of Assembly. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“How dare the Premier once again blame me and say he needed the election because his Government was in minority?” Ms Hickey said.

“He engineered this for his own ends and now seeks to blame me. Well, it’s not on.

“He forced himself into a pseudo-minority by sacking me from the party, but that was as false as his claims are now.”

LEGAL FEARS OVER SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS

Political analyst Professor Richard Herr agreed with Ms Hickey that the Premier’s advice on the need for an election was “disingenuous”.

“But that doesn’t mean Her Excellency could tell the Premier to test the numbers on the floor of parliament,” Professor Herr said.

“She can’t do that without indicating a lack of confidence in her First Minister’s (the Premier) advice.

“The Speaker was not in a position to formally advise the Governor on this.”

Professor Herr said circumstances of minority governments in 1986, 1989 and 2010 were all different and in all cases the governors had acted with propriety and in conformity with constitutional conventions.

End the ‘hollow’ promises on light rail

AN immediate commitment to light rail is needed from both major parties to deliver 4600 new homes and 1200 new jobs within the next 12 months, independent candidate for Clark Kristie Johnston has said.

Ms Johnston said the community desperately needed a passenger rail system along greater Hobart’s northern suburbs corridor to alleviate congestion and create employment and housing.

But she said the government had “been backing away a million miles an hour” from its commitment in 2018 to deliver passenger rail within five years.

“We are three years into that commitment and we still see nothing on this rail corridor,” she said.

“Both the Labor and Liberal parties have provided commitments that are hollow to the community for a number of years now.”

Independent candidate for Clark Kristie Johnston on light rail for Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Johnston said people from the community and from business and development backgrounds were overwhelmingly supportive of the project.

If elected, she hoped to use her influence to secure a commitment.

“Certainly there are a number of developers who are purchasing land along the rail corridor who are sitting on that industrial land,” she said.

“It should be used for inner residential and they’re waiting for the activation of the rail corridor.”

The remaining rail heading north from the regatta grounds. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Ms Johnston said the $25m commitment within the Hobart City Deal could assist with creating the service within the next year and easing traffic flow on the Brooker Highway and Main Rd.

“Public transport doesn’t necessarily pay for itself anywhere within the world, but what it does do is it acts as an urban renewal project and a city-shaping project,” she said.