In Tasmania, political leaders are starting to talk to crossbenchers after the recent election produced the expected results. Jeremy Rockliff, the Premier and leader of the Liberal Party, is optimistic about his party’s prospects, asserting that they are best positioned to form a government. Labor Leader Dean Winter is deeply committed to working with crossbench members. He has ruled out again and again any kind of deal with the Greens.
And the result of the subsequent state election, where the administration Liberal Party won a solid minimum 14-seat majority still strengthens Rockliff’s position. He will be hoping to show that he can do a better job of operating across the crossbench than the last parliament. Winter has provided Rockliff with the first opportunity to win support from crossbenchers. That would be an impressive display of bipartisanship and cooperation, in a highly fragmented political environment.
Liberal Party’s Position
Outgoing Premier Jeremy Rockliff voiced confidence that his Liberal Party had a mandate to form government. He pointed out that the party is well-positioned to take the lead, based on its seat total.
“I’ve reached out to potential crossbench members today, including conversations and my view is that the crossbench in the cold, hard light of day will recognise the party being the Liberal Party with the most number of seats are able to form a cabinet.” – Jeremy Rockliff
Rockliff emphasized the importance of collaboration in parliament, stating, “We need to listen to everyone’s views and have a very sensible conversation in a very measured way about exactly the key areas that Tasmanians care about.” He did implement – as he did not concede at all – many – possibly most – of his failures in his prior crossbench management.
Even amid that tumult, Rockliff signalled strongly his desire to do better to win the favour of the crossbenchers. “Yes, I’ve learnt a lot as well, of course, and my resolve to working collaboratively with crossbenchers has only been enhanced and strengthened by my experience over the course of the last 12 months,” he stated.
Labor’s Collaborative Approach
Dean Winter’s intelligence was to engage crossbench members with forums, and to demonstrate their influence first hand through respectful treatment and debate. He has already made overtures to all the crossbenchers, and spoken of creating a new, mature political culture.
“We need to see, wait and get the final results, but over the course of the next few days, we’ll be speaking to crossbenchers and making sure they understand where Labor stands,” – Dean Winter
Winter further demonstrated that he had no interest in seeking any kind of formal coalition with the Greens. He stated, “They’ve made their choice to vote no-confidence in Jeremy Rockcliff and that’s a matter for them,” reinforcing his stance against aligning with the Greens.
Additionally, Winter pointed out that Labor was able to reclaim the narrative around creation of jobs, connection to traditional industries. “Tasmanian Labor believes in jobs — safe, secure, well-paid jobs — and we support traditional industries that have been supporting Tasmanian regional communities,” he remarked.
The Role of Crossbenchers
And with only 18 seats needed for a majority in their 37-member parliament, crossbenchers will have much power as they decide how the next government looks. The Greens are expected to win at least five seats, making any negotiations difficult for either major party.
Rockliff acknowledged the role of crossbenchers and asserted that not every member can expect to have their demands fully met at all times. “Not every single member of parliament can have 100 per cent of what they want 100 per cent of the time, and Tasmanians would look very poorly on any individual member of parliament, whether they be in a political party or not, that held the parliament to ransom,” he stated.
Both leaders will have to contend with a newly diverse and dynamic political landscape. In the next few days, we’ll find out just how much they can charm crossbenchers. This kind of engagement will determine the strongest possible alliances as Tasmania looks ahead.
