Early election on the cards as John Tucker rejects Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s ultimatum
Independent John Tucker has released a statement in response to Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s election ultimatum. The key points >>
Tasmania
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UPDATE 2.45PM: Premier Jeremy Rockliff is sticking by the ultimatum rejected by two independent MPs to support his government or face an election.
Mr Rockliff issued a statement on Thursday saying notihng has changed.
He is expected to meet with John Tucker and Lara Alexander on Friday.
“I note the public comments of Mr Tucker today, and additional comments from Mrs Alexander,” Mr Rockliff said.
“My position as outlined in my letters of last Thursday has not changed.
“I want certainty and stability for Tasmania, and that is what I intend to deliver.
“I look forward to tomorrow’s meeting.”
UPDATED 10:55am: Member for Bass Lara Alexander has added her own note of defiance to an ultimatum from Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
Mrs Alexander has backed her crossbench colleague John Tucker — telling the Premier she won’t be his lapdog.
“I welcome the response today of my colleague, the Independent Member for Lyons John Tucker, to Premier Rockliff’s outrageous ultimatum delivered last week,” she said in a statement.
“I am pleased that John has joined me in rejecting utterly the Premier’s demand that we abandon our electorates and pledge only to serve the interests of the Liberal Party.
“One of the reasons I made the decision to leave the Liberal Party and move to the cross bench, was because the Premier and his senior ministers insisted that I should always put the party’s interests above those of the people I serve.
“That demand was not acceptable then, and it remains unacceptable now.
“I serve the people of Bass. Not Jeremy Rockliff.
“I will never serve as Jeremy Rockliff’s parliamentary lapdog and – given the string of policy failures his Government has delivered – I will certainly not be a rubber stamp for further policy failure.”
UPDATED 10:46am: Independent John Tucker has released a statement. Here are the key points:
“The terms of the Premier’s letter last week were so extreme that I can only conclude he has already decided to go to an election and is looking for someone to blame.
“However, if the Premier and his deputy are fair dinkum about wanting the government to run full term, there is no reason it can’t happen. However, that is a very big IF.
“I am extremely happy to sit down to negotiations, but it would need to be on the basis of the deal agreed in May last year, together with the matters outlined in my letter of January 12.
“There are two separate issues at stake here. The first is the commitment to confidence and supply to enable the Government to continue. The second is whether the minority Rockliff Government is prepared to respect majority decisions of the Parliament.
“The Premier is now seeking to add a third matter, demanding that Lara Alexander and myself, agree to turning ourselves into nothing more than a rubber stamp for Government decisions.
“To agree to this would be to become a willing accomplice in the trashing of fundamental democratic principles.
“The Premier’s confrontational approach is unnecessary.
“His demand that we sit quietly in the corner until we are told what we can and cannot do by the Boys Club is a reminder of why we left the Liberal Party in the first place.”
“The agreement we struck in May did not write a blank cheque for government by minority.”
UPDATED 1040am: Key independent John Tucker has rejected an ultimatum from Premier Jeremy Rockliff, raising the likelihood of an early election.
Mr Tucker held a press conference in Launceston on Thursday morning, saying that to give in to Mr Rockliff’s demands would leave him and fellow independent Lara Alexander as nothing more than a rubber stamp”.
He said the premier must accept the will of parliament.
“I will not provide continued confidence and supply on a government which seeks to impose minority rule on the majority,” he said.
Mr Tucker said it was up to Mr Rockliff whether an election was now called.
“I can only conclude his real intent is to call an election and to find someone else to blame.”
He said he would still attend a meeting with Mr Rockliff on Friday.
UPDATED 9:50am: Tasmanians will find out this morning whether the state is lurching towards an early election when Liberal defector John Tucker responds to an ultimatum from Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
Mr Rockliff last week demanded Mr Tucker and fellow Liberal-turned-independent Lara Alexander pledge to back the government in parliament or he will consider calling an election.
The trio are scheduled to have a meeting on Friday, although Mrs Alexander has already indicated she is unlikely to agree to the terms of a fresh agreement Mr Rockliff has proposed.
Speaking to SkyNews.com.au, Mrs Alexander claimed accepting the deal would defeat the purpose of becoming an independent.
“There is one key aspect of the deal that I cannot agree with, and that is, we’re not allowed to vote on anything else unless we get government approval, that’s unconscionable to me, that’s like having an independent member of parliament unable to represent their community,” she said.
“The ultimatum he’s giving us would make us less independent than a backbencher.”
Mr Rockliff says he does not want to call an election but Tasmanians desire a stable government.
Mr Tucker will indicate his response in a press conference in Civic Square in Launceston at 10.30am on Thursday.
Labor’s Josh Willie said the political instability of the last week was intolerable.
“The further Jeremy Rockliff’s ultimatum mess drags on, more and more Tasmanians are realising just how reckless and ridiculous his approach has been as he throws aside his responsibility to Tasmanians,” he said.
“Tasmanians are waiting on tenterhooks to see what will happen next, but the state’s future isn’t in the hands of the Premier – he’s palmed off responsibility to an independent with an axe to grind.
“Having seen Rockliff’s “negotiating ability” for the Tasmanian AFL team, Mr Tucker must be rubbing his hands together thinking about what he can get out of this weak, tired Premier.”
Refresh this page for live updates through the day and watch Mr Tucker’s press conference on our Facebook livestream:
EARLIER: Key independent John Tucker will break his silence with a public response to the Premier’s ultimatum to be delivered on Thursday morning.
The member for Lyons has not spoken publicly since the Premier demanded he and fellow Liberal defector Lara Alexander pledge to back the government — or face the prospect of an early election.
The trio were due to meet on Friday, but Mr Tucker has revealed he will make an announcement on his response to the Premier’s letter at 10:30am tomorrow at Civic Square in Launceston.
Mrs Alexander has already rejected the proposed terms of Mr Rockliffs deal.
The Premier has insisted he wants a new agreement to keeps the ten-year-old Liberal government in power rather than an election. Labor says he is backing down on his tough talk of last week.
“Now the Premier’s gone soft on his public ultimatum to John Tucker and Lara Alexander, he should tell Tasmanians which of the demands he made to the two independents he’s open to negotiating,” Labor’s Josh Willie said on Wednesday.
“Will John Tucker be allowed to support Labor motions, or does the Premier want to tie the independent Member for Lyons’ hands behind his back?
“The Premier’s ultimatum and stunning backdown has undoubtedly been bad for Tasmanian business confidence, and certainty a cross a number of sectors.”
“The move has left Tasmanians scratching their heads trying to work out why the Premier issued a public ultimatum that he wasn’t prepared to carry out.”
The next state election is not due until 2025.
In a letter to the former Liberals, Mr Rockliff demanded they back the government in every single vote in the House of Assembly, from no-confidence motions to amendments on legislation.
Mr Rockliff demanded said Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander were elected as Liberals and should start voting like Liberals.
“I expect the two independents as they are now to come good on their commitment to the Tasmanian people and their electors of Lyons and Bass to agree with what I’ve put onto the table, happy to work through what they put onto the table, of course, but my position stands as well-stated in the letter,” he said.
“I simply responded to John’s correspondence, which threatened no confidence, of course, based on some policy positions and I’ve responded in turn.
“John and Lara have their position, I have mine. I am firm, I am clear on wanting certainty and stability and I believe that’s the best way for Tasmania to go forward.”
Also on Wednesday, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission announced the dates of the Legislative Council elections in the divisions of Hobart and Prosser.
Polling day will be on Saturday, May 4. Candidate nominations open on April 4 and close on April 11.
Premier wants a deal, not an election
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has stressed he wants a new deal with two breakaway Liberals — not an early election.
Mr Rockliff threatened to go to the polls if independents Lara Alexander and John Tucker did not meet the terms of an ultimatum to fully back the government when parliament returns early in March.
Mrs Alexander has signalled her opposition to a new deal. Mr Tucker is considering his position.
Speaking at Triabunna on Tuesday, Mr Rockliff said he would rather have a new deal rather than send Tasmanians to the ballot box a year early.
“I said last week, very clearly, that I don’t want an election, I want an agreement. I want certainty and stability,” he told reporters.
“That was my position when I wrote the letters, when I spoke to you good people of the media collective on Friday, and it remains my position now.
“We’ve got a meeting on Friday with John and Lara. I don’t want an election.
“I want an agreement. If we’re unable to reach an agreement over the course of the next few weeks, I will consider all options.
“Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander will have their position. I’ve got my position and we’ll work through to ensure that we do or can reach the best opportunity to reach an agreement.
“Again, I don’t want an election, I want an agreement.”
Mr Rockliff and cabinet were on the East Coast for community cabinet meetings and to announce a new $5.2m Strategic Regional Partnership with local councils to boost jobs, health, education and tourism in the region.
“The MOU we’re signing today sets up a great framework to support regional communities,” Mr Rockliff said.
“The Tasmanian Liberal government is a government that values regional communities, that understands fully and appreciates fully the value of regional communities and the economy to the broader state economy as well.
“It’s about strengthening health services, it’s about making health services more accessible.
“It’s also about ensuring that we can support industry along the east coast — when I’m talking industry, I’m talking tourism and viticulture and agriculture, on accommodation needs as well, workforce development, the required infrastructure, the master plans that are required to ensure that we do invest time to ensure that the growth in the East Coast is well and truly supported by the required infrastructure.”
The memorandum of understanding signed with local councils pledged to advance projects including an East Coast e-health taskforce, a Regional Population and Housing Needs Analysis, an Education and Training Hub feasibility study; as well as projects in Triabunna, Bicheno, St Helens and the Bay of Fires.
Break O’Day Mayor Mick Tucker welcomed the announcement.
“The projects being supported within the Memorandum of Understanding are vital to the growth of the East Coast and importantly they will address priority projects which the Break O’Day Council have been lobbying the State Government to address,” he said.
“Health and housing are two of the biggest issues affecting communities on the East Coast and direct action is required.”
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