Tasmania’s political crisis has intensified, with Labor leader Dean Winter firmly rejecting the Greens’ attempts to form a coalition government, despite both parties teaming up to topple Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
The fallout from Thursday’s successful no-confidence motion has thrown the state into political uncertainty and raised the prospect of Tasmanians heading back to the polls for the second time in just over a year.
Winter again shut the door on any alliance with the Greens at a press conference yesterday, insisting the two parties are fundamentally at odds.
“We will not do deals with the Greens and I’ll give you the exact reason why,” Winter said. “Labor’s agenda does not align with the Greens in any way, shape or form.”
He said the two sides are “diametrically opposed” on core policy areas, including support for the salmon industry, forestry, mining and renewable energy projects.
“The Greens are opposed to all of those things,” Winter said.
However, Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff says her party has been trying all week to convince Labor to form government together to avoid the need for an election.
She acknowledged “major differences” around the environment and stadium policy but common ground in opposing public service cuts and selling off public assets.
“The Greens have made it clear to Dean Winter all week that we are ready and willing to work with Labor to change the government,” Woodruff said.
“So far he hasn’t even wanted to have the conversation. That’s really disappointing, but we will keep trying.”
Liberal Minister Eric Abetz said the two are working together anyway, pointing to their joint vote against the government as proof.
“Clearly they’ve already made a deal by voting together to force an election,” Abetz said. “That’s the first step for after the election, in their dreams, to have a Green-Labor government.”
Abetz described Winter as “an absolute wrecker” who had “brought down the show with the help of the Greens for no good purpose at all”.
The showdown follows 16 months of shaky Liberal minority rule, with Rockliff’s government struggling to hold together confidence and supply deals with crossbenchers.
Now, the Premier faces a fork in the road. He can resign, cut a new deal with the crossbench or trigger an early election.
On Thursday night, Rockliff signalled he would pursue the third option, aiming to return to parliament on Tuesday to pass urgent budget legislation to ensure public servants keep getting paid.
Woodruff insisted an election remained avoidable if politicians from “all sides” worked to find a solution, but with Labor refusing to cooperate, the state appears headed for its second poll since March 2024.
