{"id":155160,"date":"2025-08-18T07:31:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/155160\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T07:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T07:31:13","slug":"tasmanian-labors-bid-for-minority-government-set-to-fail-after-greens-withhold-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/155160\/","title":{"rendered":"Tasmanian Labor’s bid for minority government set to fail after Greens withhold support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tasmanian Labor’s bid for minority government is set to fail after the Greens and key crossbenchers announced they won’t be supporting a no-confidence motion it if it is raised when parliament returns on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Labor won 10 out of 35 seats at the July 19 state election \u2014 eight short of a majority.<\/p>\n

Labor, led by Dean Winter, could only have formed government by getting the backing of the five Green votes, as well as three crossbenchers.<\/p>\n

Backing his decision not to offer solid policy concessions to the crossbench \u2014 unlike Premier Jeremy Rockliff \u2014 Mr Winter said he was confident he had “put his best foot forward”.<\/p>\n

“I said at the start of this process that I’m prepared to work with the crossbench on getting the best outcomes for Tasmania, but I’m not going to compromise on my values or beliefs,” he said earlier on Monday.<\/p>\n

The Liberals have offered policy concessions, including a review of salmon farming operations, the discontinuation of funding for the greyhound industry, and abandoning plans to expand native forestry, while Labor has been unwilling to do so.<\/p>\n

Mr Winter said he is still committed to moving a no-confidence motion on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

“Confidence needs to be tested tomorrow \u2014 I think it’s really important for Tasmania that we get the certainty out of the election.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At a press conference later on Monday, Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said she was “disappointed and frustrated” by recent discussions with Labor.<\/p>\n

“We have spoken numerous times, on the phone and in person with Dean Winter and other members of Labor, about the issues we promised Tasmanians we’d fight to get changes around,” she said.<\/p>\n

Dr Woodruff said it was a “united decision” by the Greens to not support any proposed no-confidence motion.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

Kristie Johnston says Labor has “failed” to give a reason for the crossbench to vote for them. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

Independent Member for Clark Kristie Johnston also said she could not “actively express confidence in a Labor government”.<\/p>\n

“I have sat in a number of meetings with crossbench members over the last four weeks, where we have tried very hard to ensure that the Labor Party has every opportunity to put its best foot forward, to change for Tasmania, to give the Tasmanians a change they expect,” she said.<\/p>\n

“They simply have failed.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On Sunday, former former-Labor-turned-independent MP David O’Byrne said he intended to offer a guarantee of confidence and supply to a Rockliff Liberals government, if a motion was moved.<\/p>\n

“At the end of the day, my focus has been on who can form a stable majority government,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

he said.<\/p>\n

Mr O’Byrne said he believed the Liberals were the only party capable of forming a workable government.<\/p>\n

In a statement on Monday afternoon, Mr Rockliff said he welcomed “members of the crossbench indicating they will not support the Leader of the Opposition’s no-confidence motion tomorrow”.<\/p>\n

“The time for political games is well and truly over.<\/p>\n

“We must get on working together for all Tasmanians.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live
\n moment.<\/p>\n

58m agoMon 18 Aug 2025 at 6:31am<\/p>\n

‘Time for political games well and truly over’: Rockliff says<\/p>\n

With no sign of Labor, it might mean we have to wait until tomorrow’s opening of parliament for a comment on today’s events.<\/p>\n

In a very brief statement on Monday afternoon, Jeremy Rockliff said he welcomed “members of the crossbench indicating they will not support the Leader of the Opposition’s no-confidence motion tomorrow”.<\/p>\n

\n

“The time for political games is well and truly over. We must get on working together for all Tasmanians.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We will wrap our live coverage here and be back tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Thanks for joining us!<\/p>\n

1h agoMon 18 Aug 2025 at 6:18am<\/p>\n

How did we get here?<\/p>\n

If you’ve been living under a rock, Tasmanian politics has been very wobbly for the last three months, my colleague Josh Duggan<\/b> explains.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dean Winter speaks on election night. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)<\/p>\n

In his budget reply speech at the start of June, Labor Leader Dean Winter tabled a no-confidence motion in Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff, and said he’d move it when the crossbench indicated there was enough support for it to pass.<\/p>\n

Enough of them came out in support of the motion, setting off a two day debate that resulted in the motion passing 18-17<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mr Rockliff then followed through on a threat he’d made, ask the governor to dissolve the parliament and call an election, just 15 months after the previous one.<\/p>\n

Despite what had been a tumultuous year for the Liberals in government, they claimed a three per cent swing on election night<\/a>, as Tasmanians returned a very similar looking parliament to what had been in place before \u2014 14 Liberals, 10 Labor MPs, 5 Greens, 5 Independents, and 1 MP from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jeremy Rockliff is sworn in. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

Jeremy Rockliff was recommissioned as Premier<\/a> by Governor Barbara Baker, who said that as incumbent he had the right to face a test of the parliament’s confidence in him.<\/p>\n

She recalled parliament for August 19, and both major parties have been trying to woo a mostly progressive crossbench.<\/p>\n

Labor’s unwillingness to compromise has come back to bite them \u2014 with the Greens and other crossbenchers favouring the Liberals, partly due to policy concessions on salmon farming, greyhound racing, and native forestry.<\/p>\n

1h agoMon 18 Aug 2025 at 6:06am<\/p>\n

Labor ‘have failed’ to give Tasmanians the ‘change they expect’, Johnston says\"\"(ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

Independent Member for Clark, Kristie Johnston, said she could not “actively express confidence in a Labor government”,\u00a0\u00a0writes\u00a0Jess Moran<\/b>.<\/p>\n

“I have engaged collaboratively with both Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter over the past four weeks in what a future government might look like under both their leadership \u2014 it is fair to say that we have seen no change in conduct and behaviour from a Labor government, or potential Labor government, over this time,” Ms Johnston said.<\/p>\n

“I have sat in a number of meetings with crossbench members over the past four weeks where we have tried very hard to ensure that the Labor Party has every opportunity to put its best foot forward to change for Tasmania, to give Tasmanians a change they expect, and they simply have failed.<\/p>\n

\n

“Being more collaborative, they haven’t done that. That’s the simple fact.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ms Johnston says she is willing to work with all parties moving forward to build trust and confidence.<\/p>\n

“I will remain independent, and I will be ensuring that both the government and the opposition are held accountable,” she said.<\/p>\n

“We need to build trust and confidence in both of them moving forward for this parliament to work.<\/p>\n

“That is a commitment I make to the Tasmanian people.<\/p>\n

“We will continue to ask difficult questions, continue to put forward motions and ideas and bills that will progress the parliament, but we are also not frightened of expressing no confidence where it’s warranted.”<\/p>\n

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