Premier declines plea to change Legislative Council poll date

A call for the Legislative Council’s polling day to be moved from the same day as the Lower House election has been “politely declined”. LATEST >>

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TASMANIA’S Premier has “politely declined” a call from six independent MLCs to change the date of the Legislative Council elections in the name of democracy.

The members of Tasmania’s Upper House had written to the Premier asking to change the Legislative Council’s polling day saying the date clash would undermine the Legislative Council’s role as a house of review and unfairly disadvantage independent candidates.

“Your decision to align Legislative Council and House of Assembly election dates for the first time in the history of the Tasmanian parliament risks undermining the important and separate role of the Legislative Council in holding the government of the day to account,” the joint letter says.

“It is key to a healthy democracy.”

Premier Peter Gutwein said he would be writing back and thanking the MLCs for their correspondence but politely declining their call to change the election date.

“What was interesting in regards to that letter is that my understanding has always been that the Upper House is a house for review. They make it perfectly clear, those six independents, that they believe that it’s their job to hold the government to account – that’s not the role for the Upper House,” Mr Gutwein said.

“In fact, it probably says more about Labor if the Upper House is taking a view that they think they are the opposition.”

Kerry Finch, left, Rob Valentine and Ruth Forrest gave a press conference on parliament lawns. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

The joint letter is signed by independent MLCs Rosemary Armitage, Ivan Dean, Ruth Forrest, Rob Valentine, Tania Rattray and Meg Webb.

Legislative Council elections will be held on May 1 in the divisions of Derwent, Mersey and Windemere.

“Even had there been an imperative to select the date of 1st May for this House of Assembly election, a further option would have been to delay the 2021 Legislative Council elections to a later date in May,” the letter says.

“Our preference would be that the date for this election be immediately rescheduled for a later date in May.”

Such an alignment of election dates is not permitted in a Federal election.

The MLCs say the alignment of elections would give an “undoubted advantage” to party-affiliated candidates over independents running in the Legislative Council election.

“Party-aligned Legislative Council candidates will significantly benefit from activities related to the concurrent House of Assembly election, including whole-of-party election advertising, high visibility of party branding for House of Assembly election candidates, access to stakeholder functions, group media opportunities and public events organised and possibly funded by House of Assembly candidates, parties or third parties," the letter says.