Tasmania’s newest independent MP has told the Liberals they must drop support for the salmon industry and scrap the stadium if they want his support to form a minority government.
Peter George, who secured a seat in the southern electorate of Franklin, delivered his list of demands to Premier Jeremy Rockliff this week.
“I made it clear to Mr Rockliff that my support for a minority government would be contingent on progress on issues that are of concern to Franklin voters,” George said on Friday afternoon.
At the top of his list is an end to industrial salmon expansion in local waterways, with an “eventual transition” away from farming in island waters.
He is also calling for the “vanity project” that is the Macquarie Point stadium to be abandoned.
George’s other priorities include phasing out native forest logging, loosening right-to-information laws and beefing up integrity and anti-corruption measures.
“As you know, in Franklin I received the strongest primary vote and the third highest in the state,” he wrote in a letter to Rockliff on Thursday.
“This is because I made the principle pillars of my campaign clear and they have wide support.”
George also accused the Liberals of undermining confidence in good-faith negotiations since the election.
Rockliff, speaking on Friday afternoon after independent Craig Garland ruled out supporting the Liberals in favour of Labor, said “cool heads must prevail”.
He said Garland should consider that the Liberal Party picked up 50% of the vote in Braddon, translating into four seats.
Rockliff also said he was not seeking traditional confidence and supply agreements, instead promoting a “stability agreement” to be “co-developed by crossbenchers”.
“Every single member of parliament needs to take responsibility for what is in the best interest of Tasmania and that is upon all of us,” Rockliff said.
“No one member of parliament can expect to get 100% of what they want 100% of the time.”
Rockliff said Tasmanians know where the Liberals stand on the Macquarie Point stadium, on traditional industries and on the Marinus Link project.
He urged MPs to “argue it out on the floor of the house” rather than in private negotiations.
“That’s what parliament should be about … having a mature discussion and ensuring that Tasmanians get the best bang for buck out of their members of parliament,” Rockliff said.
