Tasmania Labor Leader Dean Winter has addressed his party’s official campaign launch today with a scathing attack on 11 years of Liberal governance, promising voters a “Fresh Start”.
Speaking at Devonport’s paranaple Centre, Winter told supporters the state is facing a broken health system, housing crisis and record debt under the Liberals, while young Tasmanians continue to leave for the mainland.
“Sometimes the feeling I get from our community towards our politicians is one that they have given up.”
“After 11 years of the Liberals they have almost become desensitised to chaos. To failure. To stuff up.”
Winter positioned himself as an underdog candidate, drawing on his west coast upbringing and personal struggles including a childhood speech impediment.
“Mum was a nurse and dad a miner. They had nothing when I was born,” he said.
“They drove me across the country to get the healthcare I needed – because I couldn’t get it here.”
“When I was having trouble reading and writing as a kid, my mum, coming off long shifts at the hospital, poured everything into me. So that I could succeed.”
Winter centred on his role as a father, saying he is dedicating his efforts to his children George and Harriet and “every other young person in this state”.
“When I became CEO of TasICT as a 26 year old, people said I was too young. But we fought for Tasmania’s NBN rollout to be built in full, and for the most part we succeeded.”
“When I ran to be Kingborough Council’s youngest ever Mayor – no one thought I could win. With the community’s support – we did.”
He promoted the party’s policies, including free bulk-billed doctor clinics across Tasmania, capping power price rises, freezing car registration and cutting housing red tape.
He criticised the Liberals’ record on major projects, listing failed promises including the new Spirits of Tasmania ferries.
“A government that promised us a four lane midland highway, an underground bus mall, a northern suburbs light rail, a northern prison, a tamar bridge, project marinus, a statewide planning scheme,” he said.
Winter promised to fix the state’s finances without selling public assets or cutting services.
He warned against voting for independents, citing previous deals with the Liberals.
“The only way to change the government is to vote Labor,” he said.
New DemosAU polling today, commissioned by Pulse Tasmania, revealed the Liberals are holding a 10-point lead over Labor, with 34.9% of the vote compared to Labor’s 24.7%.
If those numbers hold, DemosAU estimates the Liberals would pick up 13–14 seats and Labor 9–10 in the 35-seat parliament.
DemosAU’s Head of Research George Hasanakos said the results suggest another term of minority government is on the cards.
“If Labor maintains its opposition to forming government with the support of the Greens then the current Liberal government will retain office,” Hasanakos told Pulse.
