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Lambie open to backing Liberals in Tasmania

“What we want is stability in Tasmania,” Senator Jacqui Lambie says. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

By Ethan James in Hobart

Maverick senator Jacqui Lambie has indicated her party is open to propping up a minority Liberal government in Tasmania but won’t provide a guaranteed vote in parliament.

The Liberals, under leader Jeremy Rockliff, appear on track to win 15 seats after Saturday’s state election, short of the 18 required to govern in their own right.

Labor, which has claimed 10 seats, on Sunday conceded it wouldn’t be able to form government.

Mr Rockliff, the nation’s only Liberal premier, has reached out to the Jacqui Lambie Network, which has secured two seats and possibly a third, as well as two independents.

Senator Lambie said her successful candidates, to be known once further counting occurs, would meet with Mr Rockliff over Easter.

She said her party would not seek ministerial positions and would push issues including government transparency, health, housing and education.

“What we want is stability in Tasmania,” she told ABC Radio on Monday.

“And if we don’t get that stability, we’re probably going to end up back at an election in three months’ time. I do not want Tasmania doing that.”

Senator Lambie said her party members want to see a government with supply and confidence.

“(But) that won’t give them a guarantee that we will be voting on every piece of legislation with them,” she said, adding that such an arrangement would be a good thing because “it keeps them on their toes”.

The senator has been very critical of the Liberals, particularly their plans for a new $715 million Hobart stadium attached to the state’s contract for an AFL team.

However, one of her network candidates in the mix for a seat supports the stadium.

The project must be voted through parliament to get the green light.

Liberal deputy leader Michael Ferguson said he was hopeful of delivering the party’s election promises and pledged to work constructively.

“The Jacqui Lambie Network new members are saying they want to see stability,” he told reporters.

“No doubt they have other things they want to bring to discussions.”

Mr Rockliff on Sunday conceded the Liberals had taken a “bit of a kick” on the stadium issue and broadly, with their first-preference vote dropping by 12 per cent.

Mr Rockliff has also reached out to left-leaning independent Kristie Johnston and independent David O’Byrne, who was a decades-long Labor member and one-time leader.

Tasmania went to the polls more than a year early after the Liberals failed to resolve a minority government standoff with two crossbench former-party independents.

Mr O’Byrne said a new government would need to be mindful of how they negotiate.

“If they want to have a … crash-through approach in this parliament, I can guarantee you they will crash,” he told reporters.

Four seats remain in doubt, with the state’s electoral commission expecting the count to continue until April 6 with a final declaration on April 10.

Labor leader Rebecca White has refused to comment on reports she has been dumped from the role after a third unsuccessful tilt at becoming premier and her party’s 29 per cent vote.

The Greens, who have at least four seats, labelled Labor’s decision to effectively concede as “gifting” the Liberals government.

SEATS IN TASMANIA’S NEW PARLIAMENT

  • Liberal 12, Labor 10, Greens four, Jacqui Lambie Network two, independents two, in doubt four.

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One Response to Lambie open to backing Liberals in Tasmania

David says: 26 March 2024 at 7:52 am

Could be very damaging to Lambie as Rockliff doesn’t sound like the person you want to bet your reputation on. Anyone who calls a snap election, suffers a 12 swing against and then claims victory and a mandate for implementing their election promises, has all the telltale signs of trouble. Even my dog can work out that when you call an election looking for majority support, get a 12% swing against you and win by default, that it occurred because the majority of people don’t like the ideas you went to the polls with. Pity the Labor party is suffering from the Chalmers arrogance and unable to put up a set of people Tasmanians were willing to vote for. That and also suffering from Chalmers complete lack of interest in trying to fix the current cost of living crisis.

There are things you cannot polish and sometimes you need to press the button. Lambie needs to aware she is directly responsible for everything that happens as we already have clear signs of what various people will do. Hence she takes responsibility for their actions as she knows what is coming.

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