Labor Continues to Play Up Ferguson ‘Leadership Ambitions’

Editor’s note: For three days straight Labor has issued media releases about a supposed Michael Ferguson leadership challenge. No other parliamentarian has made a statement on the issue in this time.

Media release – Dean Winter MP, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, 25 June 2023

Numbers man ready to take over leadership

Michael Ferguson is telling his close circle he is ready to take the Liberal leadership and Jeremy Rockliff’s erratic performance in front of the Public Accounts Committee tells us he’s ready to throw in the towel.

It’s been a relentless pursuit of the leadership by the so-called loyal Deputy for more than a year.

Mr Ferguson’s warning shot at the Premier’s first press conference, saying “I do my own numbers” told us Mr Rockliff was going to be under sustained pressure.

Unfortunately for Mr Rockliff, it’s been a disastrous 15 months in office. He plunged the government into minority while his government failed to deliver the basic services Tasmanians rely on. The budget shows a deteriorating debt position, record deficits and serious long-term fiscal challenges.

This cannot continue. For the good of Tasmania the weak, unstable, minority, Liberal Government must do better. It has to sort out its leadership tensions once and for all.

Michael Ferguson must commit to not challenging Jeremy Rockliff for the remainder of this term of Parliament. If he can’t, he should just get on with it.

With State Final Demand going backwards two quarters in a row and Access Economics predicting Tasmania’s economic growth to slow to just 0.4%, it’s clearer than ever this government’s instability and chaos is hurting business confidence.

Media release – Dean Winter MP, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, 26 June 2023

Ferguson fails to rule out a challenge

Michael Ferguson can get as angry as he likes, but until he rules out challenging Jeremy Rockliff for the leadership of the Liberal Party, the speculation will continue.

His angry tweet failed to rule out challenging Jeremy Rockliff and that is telling.

Will Michael Ferguson finally rule out challenging for leadership of the Liberal Party today?

We all know he wanted the top job last year. He even said he did his own numbers. What is pretty clear now is that he has the support of front bench members like Guy Barnett and Felix Ellis. Who else is on board?

The current instability in the Liberal Party showed on the floor of the House last week where the government capitulated or lost vote after vote. It was embarrassing to watch.

Business confidence will continue to be eroded by this weak, unstable, minority Liberal Government until Michael Ferguson makes his intentions clear.

Will he rule out a challenge, or not?

Media release – Dean Winter MP, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, 27 June 2023

When will Michael Ferguson outline his leadership ambitions?

Michael Ferguson remains in hiding five days after Parliament rose.

There are legitimate questions about what his intentions are. If he is not going to challenge, why wouldn’t he have just said that by now?

His refusal to rule out a leadership challenge is driving uncertainty and even more minority Liberal Government instability. This is instability which can drive down investor confidence and hurt our economy.

Mr Ferguson’s ambitions to be Premier are one of the worst kept secrets in Tasmanian politics, and even the most casual observers can see he’s circling for the kill.

There’s no smoke without fire, and the only way Mr Ferguson can put that fire out now is by pulling the trigger or categorically ruling out a challenge.

Each day he stays in hiding is just one more rotation in the death spiral for this weak, unstable, minority Liberal Government.