Liberals back embattled premier, election call looms

Ethan James and Callum Godde | June 9, 2025

Tasmania’s Liberals are “absolutely” behind their leader and minority premier, who is poised to ask for a snap election after losing the support of parliament.

The island state’s parliament will sit on Tuesday to pass an emergency bill to ensure government workers keep getting paid.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff is then expected to visit the governor and request an election, just 15 months after Tasmanians went to the polls. 

Mr Rockliff narrowly lost a no-confidence motion on Thursday, but has refused to step down from the position he has held since 2022. 

“We are absolutely behind Jeremy Rockliff,” government minister Felix Ellis told reporters on Monday.

“He is a man of experience, strength and compassion who has served the community for decades. We back him in wholeheartedly.”

Battlelines have already been drawn for an election – set to be the state’s fourth in seven years – with ousted Liberal federal MP Bridget Archer to run for the party in the seat of Bass. 

The Liberals have dumped a plan to investigate state asset sales. Labor has declared it wants to bring delayed new Bass Strait ferries to Tasmania from Europe as soon as possible. 

The governor could approve Mr Rockliff’s request or ask the Liberals to find another leader who could potentially be premier with the support of the crossbench. 

Labor opposition leader Dean Winter has ruled out trying to govern in an alliance with the Greens, who have offered an olive branch.

“This will be an election about three things,” Mr Winter said. 

“The broken budget, Jeremy Rockliff’s plan to privatise assets and his (role) in the Spirit of Tasmania (ferry) fiasco.” 

Both major parties support construction of a $945 million waterfront stadium in Hobart, a condition of the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL in 2028. 

Several anti-stadium crossbench MPs and the Greens have co-signed a letter to AFL boss Andrew Dillon, asking for a meeting to discuss renegotiating the contract. 

The AFL and Liberals, who signed the licence, have maintained the deal is the deal. 

“The AFL’s continued position is that (the Macquarie Point stadium) is a condition for the grant of the 19th licence,” a league spokesman said. 

The Devils are concerned an election could delay approval processes for the stadium, potentially putting the licence at risk. 

The stadium also looms as a major election issue, with February polling showing almost 60 per cent of Tasmanians don’t support the project. 

It could turn voters away from the two major parties. 

The Liberals suffered a 12 per cent swing against them at the March 2024 election, but managed to form government with just 14 of 35 lower-house seats. 

Labor, which holds 10 seats, picked up a minuscule swing of 0.8 per cent.