Labor leader Dean Winter has ruled out doing any deals with the Greens to form government but has left the door open to working with independents, as polling suggests no party is likely to win a clear majority after Saturday’s election.
Speaking in New Norfolk on Monday, Winter stuck to his long-standing position against formal agreements with the Greens, despite the potential political cost.
“We won’t be doing deals with the Greens. I’ve been consistent and continue to say that throughout,” Winter said.
“If we’d done a deal with the Greens, we’d be in government right now. If we’d done a deal with the Greens 15 months ago, we’d be in government. We don’t do deals with the Greens.”
However, Winter indicated Labor would consider working with crossbench MPs who support the party’s agenda.
Many independents expected to win seats share similar policies to the Greens, but Winter said Labor would assess each crossbench MP on their own merits.
“We understand that we’ve been working with independents over the last 15 months,” he said.
“If there’s sensible independents that will work with a Labor government agenda, of course we’ll work with them.”
The comments come after polling commissioned by Pulse Tasmania from DemosAU showed Labor trailing the Liberals on the primary vote.
The poll found sitting independents Craig Garland, Kristie Johnston and David O’Byrne appear set for re-election. They will likely be joined by independent Peter George.
When asked whether he would rather stay in opposition than compromise on his stance on the Greens, Winter said he was determined to deliver change for Tasmania.
“I want to work and I want to deliver Tasmania the fresh start that it needs,” he said.
“If Tasmanians want a fresh start, if they want ‘TassieDoc’ clinics, then the best way to deliver that is to vote Labor.”
