Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier, 23 July 2023
New Rockliff Government Cabinet
Today I am announcing changes to the internal line-up of my Cabinet, to ensure our Government can best deliver on our long term plan and do what matters most for all Tasmanians.
As I have already outlined, I will be handing over the reins of health to a very capable member of my team and taking an increased focus on driving Tasmania’s economic growth and creating more jobs.
As well as Premier, I will be the Minister for State Development, Trade and the Antarctic. I will also be the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality. And, as I’ve previously mentioned, I will remain the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
In making these changes, I want to send a strong message about the priorities of the Government I lead – my Liberal Government backs economic growth and job creation.
A confident and strong economy means we will have the resources to invest in things like cost of living relief, health and housing – making our state the best place to live, work and raise a family.
After nine years of Liberal Government, Tasmania’s economy is leading the pack. However, Tasmania is not immune to the global and domestic economic headwinds.
The triple threat of inflation, rising interest rates and a slowdown in the national economy is causing uncertainty and threatening both business and consumer confidence.
That’s why I have decided now is the time that I should take on State Development, with direct responsibility for the Department of State Growth and key economic drivers within it, in particular business development.
We learned when we came to Government in 2014 and turned around the Labor-Green recession, that confidence is king.
Tasmanian businesses need confidence, Tasmanians need certainty, and that’s what I’m delivering with this and the other changes I have announced over the past week.
In addition, I am bringing Tourism and Hospitality back together, and under a Premier again. Tourism and hospitality are major economic powerhouses, especially in our regions. Visitors are travelling to our state in record numbers, and my Government is focussed on seizing the opportunities this brings.
I will also be adding the Antarctic to my focus. We’re not only the gateway to the Antarctic, we are leaders in science, research, logistics and services capabilities. It was clear when I visited Japan and the Republic of Korea this year that there is enormous potential to grow our Antarctic industry, and further strengthen our economy.
By taking on these new portfolios, I will continue to deliver on our long term plan, and do what matters for all Tasmanians.
I’m very pleased to announce that Minister Guy Barnett will be Tasmania’s Minister for Health.
Minister Barnett has represented Tasmanians at the Federal and State level now for almost two decades.
Minister Barnett has been a passionate advocate in his past and current Ministries, and I believe he will bring that same passion and drive to Health. Minister Barnett is a Diabetes Australia Ambassador, a commitment that is driven by his own experience with Type 1 diabetes.
In 2006, he established with Diabetes Tasmania the Pollie Pedal and has cycled every year to raise awareness and funds for Tasmanians with diabetes and their families. Minister Barnett is also a former Ambassador for Motor Neurone Disease Australia.
I have every confidence that Tasmania’s health care system is in the very best of hands and we will continue to see investment, innovation and improved health outcomes for Tasmanians under Minister Barnett’s leadership.
Minister Nic Street will take on additional responsibilities, including Minister for Housing and Construction. He will also be the Minister for Stadia and Events.
Minister Jo Palmer will take on the Community Services and Development portfolio.
Minister Madeleine Ogilvie will be the Minister for Women and the Prevention of Family Violence.
And Minister Felix Ellis will be the Minister for Racing.
I’m very grateful to have such a strong team of talented and passionate Ministers.
Over the past nine years, our Government has demonstrated that our long term plan delivers a strong economy.
This week, we again recorded a record low unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent.
We’re leading the country in CommSec’s economic rankings, and I look forward to the next results tomorrow.
Our Government returned the budget to surplus, which meant we could invest almost $2 billion to support Tasmanians through COVID.
We have the second lowest debt per capita in the nation, and we’ve done this while still having the lowest taxes of any State.
None of this has happened by chance. This is the result of sticking to our long term plan, being disciplined with our own spending, while creating an environment for the private sector to invest.
The changes I announced today will ensure our Government can continue to deliver on our long term plan, and deliver what matters most to all Tasmanians.
Please see link to new Cabinet responsibilities here.
Media release – Rebecca White MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader, 23 July 2023
Tasmania needs more change than Rockliff’s “reset”
It is hard to see how Jeremy Rockliff’s political “reset” is going to help Tasmanians struggling with health, housing and the cost of living.
The new Health Minister, Guy Barnett, has been responsible for soaring power prices in his time as Energy Minister.
He was also, until today, the Minister who oversaw the severe worsening of Tasmania’s housing crisis.
Why would Tasmanians believe he’s going to do a better job as Minister for Health, particularly given he was so unenthusiastic about his new job that he didn’t even turn up to the announcement?
In contrast, health is a top priority for Labor. We have announced practical plans to increase services in Tasmania’s regional hospitals, boost regional ambulance services and train more nurses and other health workers – all of which will take pressure off our major hospitals.
Labor also has a plan to ensure Tasmanians pay Tasmanian prices for Tasmanian power, and to build more housing for renters.
Jeremy Rockliff’s attempted “reset” does show he’s right about one thing – Tasmania does need change.
But with every desperate move from the Premier, it’s becoming increasingly clear we’re not going to get it from this 10 year old government.
Media release – Dean Winter MP, Shadow Minister for Racing, 23 July 2023
Tasmania’s worst racing Minister finally sacked
The Tasmanian Racing Industry is rightly celebrating the sacking of now former Minister for Racing, Madeleine Ogilvie.
I am hearing from stables, breeders, kennels and owners who are ecstatic the worst Racing Minister in Tasmanian history has finally been sacked. I was pleased to work with them as we exposed cover ups and the complete incompetence of this Minister.
The most offensive thing about Ms Ogilvie’s time as Minister was that it was pretty obvious she did not care.
Unlike the Liberals, Labor actually cares about the racing industry. It’s a $200 million per year industry with 6,000 participants who love their animals.
In a short but disastrous tenure as Minister, Ms Ogilvie:
- Lied about the reason for the departure of the former CEO of TasRacing
- Faced with serious allegations from BOTRA about her Director of Racing, sent those complaints directly to the Director of Racing. She never apologised for doing so.
- Faced with even more serious allegations about the Office of Racing Integrity, race fixing and animal welfare; told Parliament ‘Racing has never been in better shape’ before asking the Office of Racing Integrity to investigate itself.
- Leaves the most serious allegations of race fixing, animal welfare breaches, sexual harassment, tax evasion and wage unresolved.
- Took six months to respond to the Monteith Review before not implementing a single recommendation more than a year after it was published.
- Told a Committee ‘everyone was very pleased’ with the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP), despite absolutely no one being happy with how it has been performing.
- Could not say whether she had even visited harness racing clubs across northern Tasmania. She had not.
- Leaves North West Harness and Greyhound trainers with no track and no prospect of one anytime soon as the Liberals election promise is now massively underfunded and still without a timeline.
By leaving Ms Ogilvie in the portfolio so long, Jeremy Rockliff showed he was prepared to put his own political interests ahead of the interests of great Tasmanian racing people, especially in his own electorate of Braddon.
Ms Ogilvie should never have been left in the portfolio so long when it has been clear from the start she was the wrong person for the job.
I sincerely hope Mr Ellis does a better job – and that will not be hard.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 23 July 2023
Bob Brown welcomes Antarctica portfolio
Bob Brown has welcomed Premier Jeremy Rockcliff’s establishment of a ministry for Antarctica.
Tasmania is best placed to take a pivotal role for Australia and the world in protecting the Great White Continent, its ocean and its wildlife from the ravages of human exploitation overtaking the rest of the planet: Brown said.
“We look forward to working with the government to giving Antarctica its rightful place as the pre-eminent World Heritage Area for the future of humanity. Premier Rockcliff is in the box seat to have the Albanese government work with other Antarctic Treaty countries to have Antarctica get that listing,” Brown said.
Media release – independent Member for Lyons, John Tucker MP; independent Member for Bass, Lara Alexander MP, 23 July 2023
A new direction from the Rockliff Government or just another rabbit hole?
There is no doubt that the Rockliff Government needs to change direction. It needs to start delivering solutions to the real and immediate concerns of people across Tasmania. Unfortunately, the announcement late last week that the Government intends to change direction was wrapped in a narrative that indicated in fact, more of the same approach: deflect from the real issues and blame others for your troubles.
The announcement appeared to be more spin than substance. Driven, no doubt, by the expensive PR team hired by the Premier to build a smoke screen to distract people and move their attention away from the real issues.
In pursuing this spin-doctor promoted mantra – that we were elected as Liberals and not as independents – the Premier missed an important detail: He was not the leader who won the mandate; and that the AFL stadium development was not put to the people at that election, nor to the Liberal candidates to enable some of us to make up our minds. The attempt to blame our move to the crossbenches for the government’s problems is, to put it bluntly, pathetic.
We have said consistently that the issues faced by the government are not confined to two new independents sitting on the crossbenches of us. This fact has been illustrated in spades over recent times.
The vote of no confidence in the Liberal Party by the Northeast branch was unprecedented and reflects widespread concern within the party that the government has stopped listening and lost its way. The Northeast branch was not only the Party’s biggest fundraiser it delivered electoral success on a scale that is difficult to imagine. At the last state election, the Scottsdale booth showered the Liberal Party with 67% of the primary vote against 17% for the Labor Party.
Instead of trying to blame the two new independents for the woes of the government, the Premier needs to start delivering meaningful action on the real issues facing Tasmania. Premier Rockliff could start with action on the cost-of-living crisis, including the rapid rise in power prices. Since the government abandoned the sensible Tasmanian First energy policy, adopted by the Hodgman government, energy prices have rocketed, and the government has pocketed millions upon millions of dollars at the expense of Tasmanian households.
The Premier also needs to deliver for Tasmanians facing an existential threat to their jobs, livelihoods, and families, like the one currently being experienced by those in the sawmill industry. Our local sawmillers, their employees, suppliers, and the communities they support, are facing a wipe-out as a consequence of the decisions taken by the Andrews Government in Victoria and a tardy response from the Rockliff Government.
Why is it that multinational major energy users obtained a letter of comfort from the Tasmanian Government, when faced with the threat of new entrance in the hydrogen sector, but it has refused to provide the same letter of comfort to Tasmanian sawmillers facing a critical threat from cashed up Victorian Government backed timber operator?
The Premier also needs to listen to the genuine concerns of our firefighters over the loss of professional economy as they battle to keep us safe over summer.
The Premier needs to start delivering a genuine change of direction, a fair dinkum improvement in communication with local government, industry groups and the community.
These are all problems created by or the result of inaction by the Rockliff Government. It might be convenient to blame the two new independents, but the reality is the fault lies with the Premier and an inept Cabinet.
The Premier needs to start putting Tasmanians first, not last, and he needs to honour his commitment to improve the transparency of government. Transparency demonstrated in actions and facts, rather than rhetoric and soundbites.
The biggest threat to the Government is not the crossbench. It is secrecy, public relations spin, and a lack of performance by the Rockliff Government. Digging itself deeper into a hole of its own making is not going to help.
Let us be clear – as independent Members of Parliament, we do not wish to precipitate an early election. Could it be that the Rockliff Government is secretly planning an early election, and looking for a scapegoat to blame? Premier Rockliff and his new, expensive PR machine seem to be building the narrative of their excuse: ‘Nothing is our fault, the dog ate our homework’. Load all the poor decisions and Rockliff Government failures on the backs of others.
Media release – Tasmanian Branch of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, 23 July 2023
PHARMACY GUILD THANKS MINISTER ROCKLIFF AND WELCOMES NEW HEALTH MINISTER BARNETT
The Tasmanian Branch of the Pharmacy Guild today thanked Premier Jeremey Rockliff, for the strong support he has shown community pharmacy owners and their staff during his time as the State’s Health Minister and welcomed the appointment of highly regarded and hard working member of the Liberal parliamentary team, Guy Barnett to take over this important portfolio.
Branch President, Helen O’Byrne said “We have had opportunities for dialogue in the past with Minister Barnett and he has always shown a keen interest in community pharmacy and the role of pharmacists in the provision of healthcare.”
In thanking Mr Rockliff for his work as Health Minister, Ms O’Byrne said his willingness to meet, discuss and act on the issues impacting community pharmacy in Tasmania has ensured the role of pharmacists has expanded substantially in providing health care services to their local communities.
“The Guild is confident that the strong relationship we have with Premier Rockliff will remain as he continues in his important roles of leading Tasmania’s government and as Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing”, Ms O’Byrne said.
“As Health Minister, Mr Rockliff has been willing to listen and assess each issue on its merits”, Ms O’Byrne said. “He understands that community pharmacists are highly trained health professionals who can safely and effectively deliver a range of services to the community.”
“Tasmania’s community pharmacies are now able to provide a wide range of vaccination services and have delivered well over 300,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to date.
“We have no doubt that the findings of the pharmacists scope of practice review, to be delivered to the Health Minister in the coming weeks, will highlight further services we could and should be able to provide to our local communities”, Ms O’Byrne said. “Mr Rockliff’s delivery on his government’s election promise to conduct this review is much appreciated.”
“Mr Rockliff’s introduction of Tasmania’s “no script no stress” initiative is nation leading and allows community pharmacists to assist hundreds of Tasmanians every day to access their medication – easing pressure on GPs and ensuring patient safety.
“As well, community pharmacists’ are now able to administer injectable medications and vaccinations that are prescribed by a doctor to patients – again easing pressure on both GP’s and Hospital outpatient departments.
“The Guild is ready to work with Minister Barnett to build on these initiatives and we look forward to meeting with him as soon as possible”.
