WILL HODGMAN
David Bartlett has been forced by party power-brokers Michael Aird and Michael Polley to adopt the Liberal position of no coalitions, accords or deals with the Greens in the event of a hung Parliament.

NICK McKIM
The Tasmanian Greens today said that Premier David Bartlett has been rolled by the old-style majority government ideologues in his own Cabinet after he today ruled out working constructively in the event that the Tasmanian people elect a power sharing parliament next year.

PREMIER ROLLED BY MAJORITY GOVERNMENT IDEOLOGUES
Labor Not Prepared to Work Constructively and Respect Will of Voters
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Monday, 17 August 2009

www.tas.greens.org.au

The Tasmanian Greens today said that Premier David Bartlett has been rolled by the old-style majority government ideologues in his own Cabinet after he today ruled out working constructively in the event that the Tasmanian people elect a power sharing parliament next year.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said the Greens stand ready to work constructively and co-operatively with whatever Parliament the Tasmanian people elect, and called on Mr Bartlett to make the same commitment.

“What Labor has said today is that it will try to hang onto power even if it does not have a majority of seats in the House. This is brinksmanship of the highest order, and a recipe for unparalleled instability,” Mr McKim said.

“Mr Bartlett reminds me of a small boy who has been bowled out in a backyard game of cricket, and threatens to take his bat and ball and go home. It is immature and disrespectful to the Tasmanian people.”

“This is the kind of arrogance that only a government which has had absolute power for nearly twelve years could come up with.”

“David Bartlett has now confirmed that he is a puppet Premier, whose words and actions are being scripted by the old-style powerbrokers in his Party who are only interested in desperately hanging on to power.”

“Tasmania now has a leader who is not prepared to work constructively with anyone who disagrees with him in Parliament. This is not only supreme intellectual arrogance, but confirmation of a willingness to ignore the will of our people expressed at the ballot box.”

Mr McKim reminded Mr Bartlett and his mentor Michael Field that the Labor-Green Accord, which Mr Field has admitted was broken by Labor, delivered excellent outcomes for Tasmania, including beginning the debt reduction strategy which sees Tasmania general government net debt free today.

…

Will Hodgman MP
Leader of the State Opposition
Monday August 17, 2009

Premier forced to adopt Liberal position

· David Bartlett forced to adopt Liberal position of no coalitions, accords or deals with the Greens

· Anything David Bartlett says today might not stand tomorrow, such is the frequency of his backflips

· The Tasmanian people will decide the make-up of the next Parliament, not David Bartlett and the Labor party room

David Bartlett has been forced by party power-brokers Michael Aird and Michael Polley to adopt the Liberal position of no coalitions, accords or deals with the Greens in the event of a hung Parliament.

After publicly floating the notion in a panic after a bad poll, the Premier has been pulled back into line.

It is further evidence of the weak leadership of this stand for nothing Premier.

The Tasmanian Liberals are aiming for majority government, and our goal is achievable. Unlike Labor, we have not accepted that we cannot win majority government.
Unlike Labor, we are not distracted by internal political problems, rather we are focussing on the long-term interests of Tasmania.

Unlike Labor, we have never entered into an accord with the Greens.

We have always said that there would be no coalitions, accords or deals with the Greens.

That position stands.

I have also always said the Tasmanian people will determine who is elected in March and we will respect the decision they make and work constructively with that.

David Bartlett is panicked and desperate. Who knows what the Premier’s position will be tomorrow.

His entertaining of minority government to cling to power shows the only way to get rid of this 11 year old Labor government is to vote Liberal in March 2010.

Office of the Leader of the State Opposition
Hon Will Hodgman MP
Parliament House
Hobart Tas. 7000

W: www.willhodgman.com.au