Following the resignation of Michael Ferguson, the Tasmanian Parliamentary Liberal Party has elected Guy Barnett as their new Deputy Leader.
Barnett, who currently serves as the state’s Health Minister and Attorney-General, was elected unopposed at a meeting of the party this morning.
He will now become Tasmania’s Deputy Premier.
Ferguson’s resignation came ahead of a no-confidence motion that was scheduled to be debated in parliament today over delays and cost overruns in the construction of new Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
The former Deputy Premier said he takes full responsibility for the issues and wants to save parliament from a “waste of time”.
Despite his resignation, Ferguson plans to remain in parliament as the “freshly re-elected member for Bass”.
“It’s the brutal mathematics of politics that would very clearly indicate that we don’t have enough votes on the floor of the Parliament to sustain a no-confidence motion,” he said on Monday night.
