Politics
Greens back Labor minority. Libs’ rejection. Greens update
EXCLUSIVE: The Tasmanian Greens have pledged shock new support for the Bartlett Labor government to remain in power in Tasmania.
Greens leader Nick McKim said his party had decided yesterday afternoon to back the incumbent government over the alternate Liberal opposition led by Will Hodgman.
“We are really disappointed that the Liberals have left us no choice but to support the government of the day,” Mr McKim said late last night, revealing the Greens’ surprise move exclusively to the Mercury.
“It remains open to the Liberals to still engage with us – but we have come to a unanimous decision in our party room to offer confidence to the existing Labor government in the hope it will continue.”
Mr McKim said the unexpected decision, which could dramatically affect the outcome of which minority government is chosen by Governor Peter Underwood to be Tasmania’s 47th government, was made on stability not policy grounds.
The Greens’ 11th hour sudden backing for Labor – guaranteeing it would not move or support any no-confidence motion in a new Labor government in parliament – came at the end of an extraordinary day in Tasmanian politics.
The anxious wait to see who will form Tasmania’s next government was pushed into its 18th day since the March 20 election, with the outcome still being no clearer than on election night.
Despite a flurry of activity at Government House yesterday, including brief afternoon meetings with Premier David Bartlett and Opposition Leader Will Hodgman, Governor Peter Underwood has not yet decided who will form the next government of Tasmania.
Yesterday’s formal declaration of the polls confirmed the election result of 10 seats to Labor, 10 seats to the Liberals and five to the Greens – leaving no party with a mandate to govern in their own right.
It prompted caretaker Premier David Bartlett to travel to Government House to honour his commitment to try to hand government to Liberals, because they had won a higher proportion of the statewide vote.
Mr Bartlett advised Mr Underwood, as he had foreshadowed, that he did not believe Labor could form a stable minority government on the floor of parliament.
After a brief three-minute meeting with Mr Bartlett, the Tasmanian Governor then contacted Mr Hodgman inviting him to visit Hobart’s historic sandstone Government House at 2.45pm.
A relaxed Mr Hodgman emerged smiling after a 20-minute meeting, but would not disclose either the details or direction of his discussion with Mr Underwood at the Governor’s request.
A two-line statement issued by Mr Underwood at 5pm yesterday shed no light on which party is more likely to form the next government, or whether Mr Bartlett or Mr Hodgman will be the state’s 54th premier.
The brief Government House media release said Mr Underwood was “not in a position at this stage to make a decision.”
It is understood the Governor now intends to take considerable constitutional advice on the two legal arguments put to him yesterday afternoon by Mr Bartlett and Mr Hodgman.
But he will also wake up this morning unaware of the latest move by the Greens to help keep a reluctant Bartlett Labor government in power.
The Greens are believed to have tried unsuccessfully to contact Mr Underwood yesterday afternoon to inform him of their new position pledging support for a Labor government.
Mr McKim said Labor and its leader Mr Bartlett could be assured of the support of the Greens in any no-confidence motions it might face during its next term in government.
He vowed the Greens would neither move a No Confidence motion in a Labor government or premier, nor support one moved by the Liberal opposition, unless there was evidence of gross malfeasance, maladministration or corruption.
The only caveat Mr McKim put on the Greens’ sudden support for a returned Labor government, was if at some stage during the term of the next parliament any two of the three political parties negotiated a formal agreement with each other.
Mr McKim said in these circumstances – such as if the Liberals negotiated a written power-sharing agreement with the Greens to govern jointly in an effective majority – the Greens could no longer guarantee confidence to a Labor government.
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Mr McKim said the Greens had pledged to the Tasmanian people to deliver stable government.
In the absence of the Greens’ preferred form of stability – a power-sharing deal with either the minority Labor or Liberals – the Greens have judged that the incumbent Labor government offers a greater chance of stable government for the next four years than the Liberals.
Mr McKim said the decision was based largely on Labor having 13 members of parliament in both houses to the Liberals 11 MPs, offering more chance of forming a workable government with a stronger ministry.
“We are backing the existing government on the basis of this greater stability,” Mr McKim said.
“We also believe it is less disruptive for the incumbent government to remain in power with all its offices and advisers already in place, and will certainly save on changeover costs to the Tasmanian taxpayer. ”
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But it remains unknown if Mr McKim’s support will prompt reluctant premier David Bartlett to change his mind about remaining in power.
The Premier’s position was unanimously endorsed by the Parliamentary Labor Party at a meeting on April Fools Day and was contained in formal advice put to the Governor yesterday.
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Constitutionally the Governor is allowed seven days to consider formal advice from the Premier and Opposition Leader who are his chief advisers.
However it is considered more likely that a decision will be made before the end of this week to bring an end to the ongoing constitutional stalemate .
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At the declaration of the polls ceremony for Franklin yesterday, Mr McKim chastised Mr Bartlett for attempting to hand over government to the Liberals.
“If Mr Bartlett attempts to abdicate it will constitute a betrayal of every person who voted Labor,” Mr McKim said.
“Labor voters right around Tasmania must be scratching their heads wondering why they voted for a party that doesn’t want to implement their policies.”
Both Mr Bartlett and Mr Hodgman have stuck by their staunch positions not to enter into negotiations with the Greens.
UPDATE 1: HERE: Libs reject Greens deal
The Tasmanian Liberal Party has again ruled out any deals with the Greens, in a move that could see Labor continue in Government.
Greens leader Nick McKim says if neither major party does a deal, the Greens will support the incumbent Labor government.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman will not comment but his spokesman Brad Stansfield says the party is sticking to its election promise of no deal and will not be blackmailed by the Greens.
In the past, the Labor party has also ruled out deals.
Today ALP media advisers highlighted recent statements by Labor leader David Bartlett which indicate the party would be happy to continue governing.
The developments mean Labor could continue to govern without a deal with the Greens.
This would be a repeat of what happened 1996 when the Liberals found themselves in minority government.
The Labor Party is likely to consider the Greens’ pledge at a meeting later today.
Boxes were being wheeled out of the Executive Building in Murray Street building this morning, as Labor MPs remained inside considering their future.
Newly-elected Labor MP Scott Bacon refused to comment, running down a nearby alleyway when approached.
A second new Labor MP Rebecca White walked away, refusing to comment on whether Labor would consider a power-sharing arrangement.
She indicated voters may have some answers later in the day after a party meeting.
UPDATE 2:
GREENS PARTY ROOM RESOLUTION
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Thursday, 8 April 2010
mps.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today confirmed their position that a negotiated agreement between two of the three parties represented in the House of Assembly is the best option to deliver stable government for Tasmania, but that in the absence of any such agreement the Greens MPs have unanimously decided not to move or support no-confidence motions in the incumbent Labor government except in the case of gross malfeasance or corruption.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP confirmed that the commitment did not mean that the Greens are changing any policies that they took to the state election, and said that the commitment would lapse if a negotiated arrangement between any two of the three parties in the House of Assembly is finalised.
“This commitment is made to follow through on the pledges we made to the Tasmanian people to do all that we can to deliver stable government. It does not mean that we will necessarily support the policy positions of the Labor party, or the Liberals for that matter,” Mr McKim said.
“We did not make this decision lightly. We have decided to act in the interests of providing government stability in the absence to date of any negotiations.”
“We still believe that a negotiated arrangement would deliver the best framework for stable government, but in the absence of any negotiations we have decided to act to attempt to deliver the next most stable outcome for Tasmania.”
“We still want to negotiate an arrangement with either of the other two parties to deliver stability. In fact this remains our preferred outcome.”
“The Greens recognise that on March 20 the Tasmanian people voted for change, but if the Liberals want to deliver the real change that they promised, they should enter into negotiations with us.”
“We still hold all of the policy positions we took to the state election. For example, we will continue to oppose the proposed pulp mill, fight to save Tasmania’s high conservation value forests, and roll back Tasmania Tomorrow.”
Download: Copy of unanimous Party Room Resolution regarding confidence, 7 April 2010:
Apr8_Greens_Party_Room_Resolution_N_McKim_ATTACH.pdf