Parliament to return early to deal with pandemic response

Tasmanian parliament will be recalled later this month to debate special legislation related to the coronavirus crisis.

STATE Parliament will be reconvened in a fortnight to deal with legislation related to the coronavirus pandemic, Premier Peter Gutwein said.

Sittings of both houses of the Tasmanian parliament were suspended for five months from March 26, with a return not scheduled until August 1. Elections for the Upper House divisions of Huon and Rosevears were also postponed. But Mr Gutwein said parliament would be recalled early.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein during Question Time in State Parliament. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“Parliament will go back in the week of the 27th of this month, I expect late in that week,” he said.

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“There will be legislation that will need to be considered, and obviously the commercial tenancy code is one of those.

“I’ve also indicated that as we will be returning to parliament we will be looking at ensuring that we will continue the representation in both Huon and Rosevears, and those two pieces of legislation will definitely be taken to the parliament in that week.”

Mr Gutwein said there would be plenty of time for the government to be held to account for its handling of the crisis, once the emergency had passed.

“There will be a time for a parliamentary inquiry,” he said.

“There will be a time for scrutiny such as what Civil Liberties are looking for.

“But right now, what I want is our best people focused on the task at hand, and that is saving people’s lives.”