Liberals to govern in Tasmania

The recent elections in Tasmania saw a hung Parliament. Labor went from 14 to 10 seats, Libs from 7 to 10 and Greens from 4 to 5.

They have five multi-member electorates, so in every electorate there are two Libs, two Labor and one Green.

What is interesting is that Labor have surrendered power voluntarily, rather than trying to hold onto power by doing a deal with the Greens.

The outgoing Labor Premier said before the election that he believes the party that won the most seats, or the most votes if seats are equal, should be given first chance to govern. The libs had 2.1% greater share of the vote.

The Greens are miffed that the decision by Labor, means the Libs do not need to negotiate with them. Both the Greens and Labor have said they will vote supply to allow the Government to govern, but the Greens are under some pressure to renege.

Labor in fact have gone further and said they will not move a motion of no confidence, unless there is maladministration.

Six of the Liberal MPs are newly elected, so some first time MPs may end up Ministers.

Some may ask why did the Labor Premier not try and do a deal wit the Greens. This article gives some background:

That is the long-sustained Labor narrative, upheld ever since the Michael Field-led Labor-Green accord of 1989-92 disintegrated, that says the Tasmanian Greens should never be trusted again.

This is the view that minority governments never work. That trying to rule in minority equates to too many compromises and death by a thousand cuts, resulting in a loss of economic confidence in Tasmania, political chaos and a morass of indecision.

And that whichever political party is placed in minority government will be ripped to shreds and punished severely at the ensuing state poll after their parliamentary term invariably ends up truncated in about two years time.

Labor’s view is supported by the evidence of Tasmania’s past two most recent attempts at minority government that relied on the Greens’ support on the floor of parliament.

The Labor-Green Field government disintegrated in February 1992 after 32 months, with Labor then out of power for the next six years.

The next minority Liberal-Green accord Rundle government of 1996-1998 only lasted 30 months. After that experience, the Liberals have not had a sniff of regaining government until this year.

With that background, Bartlett believes — and former premier Michael Field is one of Mr Bartlett’s closest mentors while his brother Terry Field has been his personal chief of staff for the past four years — Labor is much better off in opposition for reasons of short-term expediency.

They’ve chosen Opposition, rather than trust the Greens again.