Tasmania's Premier Jeremy Rockliff says he's 'actively considering' an early state election

Jeremy Rockliff has given the strongest indication yet that Tasmania will go to the polls early. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff says he’s “actively considering” calling an early state election, after he failed to reach an agreement with the two independents who are keeping the government in power.

Mr Rockliff met with Liberal-turned-Independent MPs Lara Alexander and John Tucker on Friday, a week after he gave them an ultimatum to support his minority government on his terms or go to an early election.

Despite Mrs Alexander and Mr Tucker agreeing to stick to the original agreement they signed in May — to provide the government with confidence and supply — Mr Rockliff said there remained a “trust deficit”.

“I’m actively considering requesting the Governor for an early election,” Mr Rockliff said on Sunday.

“While I had a good meeting with Mrs Alexander and Mr Tucker on Friday, it didn’t result in what I required and what stability is needed, and that is for the two independents to not support Labor and Greens motions in the parliament.”

Mr Rockliff did not say when he would announce the election date, but said he would consult with his cabinet colleagues on Tuesday.

Premier ‘disappointed’ by ‘mischaracterisation’ of meeting

The Premier said negotiating with Mrs Alexander and Mr Tucker had been “challenging”.

The pair defected to the crossbench last May.

Since then, Mr Tucker and Mrs Alexander have repeatedly voiced their frustration with the government, supported opposition motions, and even voted to send Energy Minister Guy Barnett to the parliament’s privileges committee.

In January, Mr Tucker threatened to “bring down” the government if it did not agree to his demands to install CCTV cameras in all abattoirs, and delay AFL training infrastructure until stadium planning had been finalised.

However, Mr Tucker backed down from his threat to revoke confidence in the government after Friday’s meeting, and said the Premier had provided an “assurance” he would honour parliamentary decisions made over his concerns outlined in January.

Mr Rockliff said he was “disappointed that Mr Tucker had a mischaracterisation of the meeting”.

“We will be turning the first sod when all the planning approvals are finalised when it comes to the AFL training facility — we won’t be stopping,” Mr Rockliff said.

“That may take 12 to 18 months, which may well align with the planning process for the Macquarie Point stadium.

“That is clearly articulated in my letter to Mr Tucker, in my response to Mr Tucker’s letter [from January] threatening confidence.”

Parliament a ‘circus’

Labor’s Jen Butler said on Sunday that what she had witnessed during the past year in state parliament had been “a circus”.

“Everyone I’ve been speaking to just wishes the Premier would just get on with it and either call an election, or start governing the people of Tasmania,” the Lyons MP said.

“They [the Liberals] are just completely obsessed with looking at themselves and their own internal issues.

“Tasmania has so much going for it, there’s so much potential, and I just don’t think we’ll be able to reach that potential with a minority government in charge.”

Tasmania’s Labor branch has had its own challenges, and has been under national administration since mid-2022.

That arrangement has recently ended, as the party prepares for an expected early election.

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