It was a profound disappointment that none of the three political leaders would talk to each other in the weeks leading up to declaration of the polls or indeed up until the day Nick McKim decided to use the media to tell Tasmanians that he would support the incumbent Labor administration under Premier David Bartlett.
Immediately the Liberal balloon deflated and simultaneously the Labor stocks were buoyed! Labor was back in with a chance to form minority government! With neither Labor nor Liberal leader talking to the Greens, McKim had semaphored his intention to give the Government job to Labor. On the strength of this Governor Underwood gave Labor the opportunity to form Government. Of course that meant David Bartlett had to withdraw his commitment to support the elevation of a Liberal government based on his undertaking that in the event of a tied 10-10-5 parliament and the Liberals gaining a higher percentage of the primary vote (which they did) he would recommend to the Governor that Will Hodgman’s Liberal form Government. Importantly at his second meeting with the governor Bartlett failed to give the assurance that Labor would not destabilize an installed Liberal minority government with motions of no confidence or blocks on supply. And we all know that the governor never sought the opinion of Mr McKim either in person or in writing.
With the governor granting the incumbent Premier to test their confidence on the floor of the parliament and McKim already publicly assuring Bartlett that he was prepared to give Labor another run at power in Tasmania, Bartlett could use his mobile phone to arrange for the two boys to have a bonding session on their bikes. The deal that cannot be called a deal was done.
Matthew Denholm writing in The Australian on Wednesday (21 April) summarised ‘Labor’s deal with the devil’: ‘Born in betrayal and deception, the new regime has a huge task in regaining public confidence. If it fails, history shows Labor will be out of power for several terms, while the Greens will have their virginal shine tarnished by cabinet’s compromises.’
All the time, the opportunity was there for Will Hodgman or any sensible Liberal MP to consider making contact with McKim or one of the elected Greens members to begin a discussion on how minority government of another hue might work. It didn’t happen. Maybe, Will’s adamant stance of “no deals with the Greens” was set in concrete and he felt he couldn’t change his stance. Maybe the influence of Liberal senator Eric Abetz was too strong. Maybe, Will anticipated Nick’s ambitious aims for participation in the Government would have been far too much for the Liberals.
The questions I am left asking is whether Bartlett’s “arrangement with a non-Parliamentary Labor Party member” to become a minister in his government was the best outcome for political stability and whether the Greens feel that this model arrangement or deal was in the best interests of their constituents.
The Greens have five members; two in the Bartlett Cabinet.
New kid on the block Paul O’Halloran is all for co-operative politics and that’s a great altruristic thing; Kim Booth played a pivotal role in exposing the dodgy Tasmanian Compliance Corporation deal that led to criminal charges against newly installed Labor minister, Bryan Green. Mr Booth also was instrumental in the demise of another Labor MHA, ex-deputy premier Steve Kons who misled parliament in the Shreddergate expose. Many Green voters in Bass would be mortified that the Tasmanian Greens have decided to install the incumbent Labor government for another term. If Kim Booth is to play ‘the bad cop’ for the Tasmanian Greens, so be it.
The day before Nick McKim and Cassy O’Connor were installed as ministers in Bartlett’s cabinet, the five Greens MPs held a press conference in the Long Room of the Tasmanian Parliament – the same room the Labor-Green Accord was signed back in 1989.
Kim Booth was the only dissenter amongst the Greens MPs over the Bartlett-McKim cabinet deal, claiming that it would hurt the party over time and a substantial risk to the Greens brand that had been built over decades. ‘I did not agree with going into this arrangement with Labor….my experience with the Bartlett and Lennon governments made it impossible for me. In good conscience I could not have any part of a government with persons in their ranks who, for the past eight years have been guilty of dishonesty and malfeasance. I could not provide support for those people who have behaved in such an appalling way. David Bartlett, in my view, is a man who has no integrity or credibility – who will say anything at any time to get his way. I would decline (any ministerial offer) because I do not think David Bartlett is worthy of being Premier. It is not that I think I would be unable to handle a ministry. I just could not in all conscience sit in government with people I believe are not fit to govern. I would be hypocritical to allow myself to become subsumed by them. There is a substantial risk to the Green brand by this model. The greens have built up this brand over more than 20 years, and by that I mean a brand of integrity, vision and accountability. I think Labor is trying to subsume the Greens and repair uts tarnished image by subsuming the Green brand. It is one of the reasons why Labor was so keen to work out an arrangement. I have made no commitments to Labor and the cabinet deal does not bind me in any way. The speakership is decided on the floor of the Parliament by secret ballot and did not form part of the negotiations. As for the Liberal nomination of Rene Hidding – you never know your luck in a big city!’
‘Yes, the model means I could be in a hostile position with my own party boss. If need be I would be free to criticism them. Will Hodgman has just thrown away the greatest opportunity for a party leader that I have ever known. If he had arranged his mind to put the interest of Tasmania first and above his stubborn prevarication he could have had a Hodgman minority government. Tasmanians would be shaking their heads that a party leader would let it slip from his grasp. It is incomprehensively stupid.’
Well, at least one Green MP remains his own person sitting on the crossbenches.
Henry Melville earlier on Tasmanian Times: Confessions of a school brat
