Tasmania’s opposition leader Dean Winter has tabled a motion of no confidence in Premier Jeremy Rockliff, saying the minority Liberal government has lost the right to govern after delivering what he’s called the worst budget in the state’s history.
In parliament on Tuesday, Winter accused the premier of wrecking Tasmania’s finances and said he would move the motion once enough crossbench MPs indicated their support.
“This is a budget that will send Tasmania broke and if you can’t manage the budget, you cannot govern this state,” Winter said. “It is now obvious that, once again, it will be left to Labor to clean up the Liberals’ mess.”
The threat to topple Rockliff comes as Tasmania faces a projected deficit of nearly $1.3 billion and net debt heading towards $11 billion.
Winter said interest payments alone would cost more than $650 million a year. “Most budgets are quickly forgotten, but this budget will go down in history as Tasmania’s worst,” he said.
“With the amount the government is spending on interest, we could more than double the size, staffing and resourcing of both our ambulance service and emergency departments. Imagine what we could do for health outcomes.”
The Labor leader said his party “does not have confidence” in the premier.
“He’s wrecked the budget, because he’s planning to sell our power companies, our ports and our public transport and because no one can trust him after the handling of the Spirit of Tasmania fiasco,” Winter said.
“This is my message to the crossbench, the self-described true opposition.”
“If they really are opposed to the premier’s agenda of debt, deficit and debacle, as they claim, then tell the House you’ve lost confidence in this premier.”
“When enough members indicate their support for my motion, I will move it. If not, they’ll show they’re happy to go along with this agenda – all the debt, all the cuts, all the privatisation – and they’ll show Tasmanians that a vote for anyone except Labor is a vote for the Liberals.”
The Greens were the last to try a no-confidence motion back in early May over the Macquarie Point stadium.
Labor didn’t support that push, with MP Shane Broad arguing it would bring down the government if successful.
