Police hunt those responsible for rock attack on bus
Police are hunting those responsible for another rock attack on a Metro bus in Hobart. The bus was hit on Thursday afternoon at Jetty Road in Old Beach.
Politics
‘Malice’: Exiled Liberal fights back against attack
The rift in the Liberal Party over veteran and Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley deepens ahead of the party’s state council this month. Read the latest missive + What the Premier said.
Industrial action spreads to forensic science over cuts
Forensic science staff have become the latest Tasmanian workers to walk off the job as an statewide surge in industrial action spreads.
Train v tractor crash sparks new rail crossing appeal
‘Engagement, education and stronger enforcement’ is what the government says is the best way to improve railway crossing safety after police alleged a tractor driver was at fault in a collision with a train.
Industry in crisis: Desperate plea from dining institution
A popular Launceston restaurant has laid bare the extent of Tasmania’s “struggling” hospitality industry, penning a desperate call for TT-Line to double day sailings to boost tourism numbers.
UTAS suggests land sell off to fund $500m STEM centre
A $500m plan by the University of Tasmania to boost the teaching of STEM subjects was vital to lifting the state economy over the coming decades, a parliamentary committee has heard. But there’s a problem …
Pictures: Plans to move historic Goods Shed at Macquarie Point
The heritage-listed Goods Shed at Macquarie Point would be moved within the site to make way for a new stadium. See the pictures >>
State government buys city hotel for health worker accommodation
The state government has bought Hobart’s Fountainside Hotel from the University of Tasmania as accommodation for key health workers.
Tyrrell to lead Senate inquiry into Freight Equalisation Scheme
The scheme set up to subsidise the cost of moving freight across Bass Strait by the Whitlam government in the 1970s will be reviewed by the Australian Senate.
‘A huge relief’: New hospital tech hailed as a game-changer
New state-of-the-art advanced technology introduced at a Tasmanian hospital could lead to quicker diagnoses and more efficient treatment for patients, say health bosses.
Salmon supporters head to Canberra to fight against ‘worst fear’
A delegation of workers and community leaders from the West Coast will travel to Canberra to lobby politicians in favour of the salmon industry.
Tasmanian businesses reject need for spending cuts, tax hikes
Business groups have demanded the government neither cut spending or increase taxes as the state struggles with a budget sustainability crisis.
Top cop apologises for naming whistleblower during hearing
A Commission of Inquiry whistleblower says having her surname revealed by the Police Commissioner during a parliamentary committee hearing has made her family less safe.
Nursing union ramps up industrial action over ‘dangerous’ hospitals
Fed-up nurses and midwives in Tasmania’s public health system have described planned industrial action as a last resort in overcoming “dangerous” conditions for both patients and staff.
JLN MPs pledge to support budget despite Eslake’s review
Despite a less-than-flattering review of the state’s finances by respected economist Saul Eslake, the Jacqui Lambie Network state MPs say they will support the state budget.
Mayor seeks right of reply to claims made by Greens MLC
Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley has demanded a right of reply to claims by a Greens MLC that he was the subject of claims of intimidation, bullying and sexual harassment from women in the Liberal Party.
Wooley: Fortunately we haven’t adopted the British appetite for violent protest … yet
Luckily the English propensity for social and political violence hasn’t yet flourished in our sunny climes but it’s worth being well aware that it might, warns Charles Wooley.
Stadium will ‘bankrupt state’: MP
The government is determined to press ahead with the Macquarie Point stadium despite a massive deterioration in the state’s financial position, Liberal minister Felix Ellis said on Friday.
Top education bureaucrat quits
The senior bureaucrat who steered the Department of Education through the Covid pandemic, the Hillcrest disaster and the Commission of Inquiry has resigned.
MLC’s explosive claims against former-Liberal mayor
Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley is facing claims of intimidation, bullying and sexual harassment from a female member of the Liberal Party, a Greens MP has claimed.
Labor ‘kept in dark’ over ferries
Labor claims it was kept in the dark about Spirit of Tasmania problems in the lead-up to the state election — in what the former leader describes as a breach of the caretaker conventions.
Comment: Blame game less fun when you’re losing
Comment: After all these years, we’ve finally discovered what you have to do to get sacked around here, political reporter David Killick says.
‘Incompetent’: Lambie lashes Ferguson over Spirit fiasco
Senator Jacqui Lambie has lashed Treasurer Michael Ferguson and demanded he resign from the government her party’s state MPs are keeping in power. Here’s what she said.
Education struggle: Unions demand budget quarantine
The teachers’ union has demanded the state government rule out budget cuts to education after NAPLAN results showed Tasmanian students continue to lag behind.
Shock exit: TT-Line chair forced to quit over ferry berth delays
The chairman of government-owned ferry operator TT-Line has been forced to resign after an escalating war of words over delays to berth facilities for the new Bass Strait ferries. The details >>>
Sound familiar? Premier recycles attack on conservationists
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has recycled his government’s attack on environment groups, claiming conservationists are preying on “unsuspecting inner-city donors on the mainland”.
Defibrillator app speeds response to heart emergencies
A new smartphone app could mean lifesaving treatment arrives sooner for Tasmanians suffering potentially deadly cardiac arrests.
Union warns cuts will put fire service crews in the firing line
The United Firefighters Union Tasmania Branch has warned that budget cuts could leave the state’s fire service ill-prepared to battle a horror bushfire season.
Revealed: National parks projects scrapped
The withdrawal of multiple projects in the state’s national parks has been subject to undue secrecy, the Greens say. Here’s the details.
Leaked memo reveals emergency budget cuts
The government says it will increase police numbers despite a leaked memo showing budget cuts looming for the state’s emergency services. Here’s the latest.
‘Nimbyism and nostalgia’ blast for UTAS Sandy Bay supporters
Glenorchy mayor Sue Hickey is known for her strong stand on issues and she is still fighting to get support for the UTAS move from Sandy Bay to the Hobart CBD. Here’s why.
Cash incentives for childcare workers in bid to fix ‘crisis’
Childcare workers will be offered scholarships and incentives worth up to $30,000 in an effort to solve a workforce crisis currently plaguing the sector.
Smashing ceremony hails major milestone for new Spirits
The second new Spirit of Tasmania vessel has been christened in a ceremony held in Finland — marking a key moment in launching the vessel.
Staff shortages lead to 23-hour per day lockdowns at Ashleys
Young people incarcerated at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre are being confined to their rooms for up to 21 hours a day because of staff shortages, a report has found.
Call for Commission of Inquiry into state prison system
A damning report into the state’s prison service has prompted calls for a Commission of Inquiry into the system.
Government announces big cash bonuses for nurses
A $10m package of incentives has been announced to attract more nurses and midwives to work in the Tasmanian public health system. Who will be eligible for $15,000 bonuses.
Tassie’s new jobless low hides a bigger workplace problem
Despite record-low unemployment in Tasmania, the latest ABS data reveals that the news is not as good as it might first appear.
‘They lock us down like dogs’: Young detainee’s letter to Premier
A young person detained at Ashley Youth Detention Centre has written to the Premier describing the experience as being locked in a cage like a dog at the pound. Here’s what he wrote. >>>
New housing starts in Tasmania sink to 10-year low
The number of new houses being built in Tasmania has slumped to its lowest point in a decade, bucking a rising national trend, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show.
Blocking UTAS move is ‘all about NIMBYism and votes’: Winter
A government bill to give parliament the final say on the University of Tasmania’s move from Sandy Bay to Hobart CBD is “about NIMBYism and about votes”, Winter says.
UTAS city move debate fires up after Labor policy revealed
Labor’s policy on uni’s housing plan that would see the institution move into the city has provoked a mixed response. Here’s the latest.
Home loan scheme doesn’t stack up with interstate : MP
A Tasmanian MP has exposed how the state’s government-backed first home buyers scheme stacks up against similar ones interstate, and she’s fired up about it. Here’s why.
Minister’s surprising call on possible Hobart light rail service
His predecessor in the job effectively ruled out light rail on the Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor but new Transport Minister Eric Abetz has now made clear his own views on the matter.
Tasmanian Labor distances itself from rogue union
The union leader who threatened to delay the construction of a new Macquarie Point AFL Stadium has resigned after unrelated misconduct allegations. Tasmania Labor has now taken action.
More cycleways on the way after $4.7m injection
A controversial inner-Hobart cycle lane is among the projects to be funded under a $4.7m state government push to get more people walking and cycling. Here’s the details.
Fur flies as landlords fight against renters keeping pets
Landlords have launched a campaign against the government’s promise to allow tenants to keep pets, warning the changes could impact the rental market. Poll inside >>
Department denies budget cut to hospital upgrades
The health department has denied budget cuts to the upgrade of the Royal Hobart Hospital’s emergency department, but a report from February suggests otherwise.
Competing stadium renders released as opponents take aim at new design
Opponents and proponents of the Macquarie Point stadium have released competing renders of what the build could look like from Hobart’s Hunter Street. See the comparison.
Power struggle: Why Tasmania has been using more coal and gas
It’s been revealed the government has turned to coal and gas to power Tasmania over the past month. Here’s why.
Prison lockdowns condemned as cost of holding prisoners revealed
Inmates at Risdon Prison have been locked in their cells for three days in the last week because of staff shortages – as the staggering cost per prisoner per year has been revealed.
Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/page/3