Media release – Elise Archer, MHA for Clark, 2 October 2023, 15.30
STATEMENT FROM ELISE ARCHER
The events of the past few days have had a profound impact on me.
I would like to thank everyone who has reached out to offer me their best wishes and support.
However, as I have stated previously I will now take some time to consider my options.
While I understand the significant interest, during this time I will not be providing any further commentary or interviews while I make a decision.
The question is now for the Premier as to what he will do.
Elise Archer ‘reconsidering’ quitting parliament, could trigger early election for Tasmanian Liberals
by ABC state political reporter Laura Beavis
The Tasmanian government minister who quit the Liberal party on Friday over allegations of bullying and leaks of damaging private messages says she is reconsidering leaving state parliament and may sit as an independent, which could trigger an early election.
Former attorney-general Elise Archer announced on Friday that she would resign from the Liberal party and the parliament, but while she has left the party she has not yet tendered her parliamentary resignation to Tasmania’s governor.
Read the full story here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-01/disaffected-liberal-elise-archer-reconsidering-quit-parliament/102922464
Media release – Rebecca White MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader, 2 October 2023
Tasmanians deserve much better than this failing government
The people of Tasmania are the ones suffering from the disintegration of the Rockliff minority government.
They’ve completely lost the ability to govern.
In the Premier’s interview this morning with Leon Compton he put the onus on Elise Archer to determine if we go to an early election and couldn’t state if parliament will be prorogued. This shows he doesn’t have a plan for the next day let alone for Tasmania’s future.
The people of our state were promised stable, majority government.
But due to Jeremy Rockliff’s weak and ineffective leadership Liberal members are turning on one another and have lost sight of the reason they were elected in the first place.
This is a premier and government that has delivered the worst health system in Australia, the worst literacy levels in the country, power prices that are through the roof, a broken public transport system and people living in cars and tents.
In contrast Labor is ready to govern and this year we have put a number of our plans to the Tasmanian people in the key priority areas of health, housing, cost of living and education.
The government’s massive internal divisions and instability are also impacting business confidence and growth and the state is now headed for $5.6 billion of debt.
It seems more than likely Jeremy Rockliff won’t survive this latest debacle involving his former Attorney General and his party room will either replace him with the ultra-conservative, hard-right Michael Ferguson as leader or force him to an early election.
Media release – Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2 October 2023
Businesses need certainty and stability from Government
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the voice of business in Tasmania and is urging the Government to provide the certainty and stability that our state needs.
The TCCI CEO, Michael Bailey, said it was incumbent on all Members of Parliament to put the interests of the community first and work together to provide solutions.
“There are many challenges facing our state at the moment,” Mr Bailey said.
“We need our representatives to focus on delivering good outcomes for the community, whether that be driving economic growth, creating jobs or delivering important reforms such as implementing the recommendations from the recent Commission of Inquiry.”
Media release – TSBC, 2 October 2023
An Election Is The Last Thing Tasmania Needs Right Now
An election is the last thing Tasmania needs right now, the Tasmanian Small Business Council said today.
“Ms Archer has been a long-standing servant of the Liberal Party and the people of her electorate of Clark, and it is understandable that she is disappointed about losing her ministerial position”, CEO Robert Mallett said.
“However, to force Tasmania to go to an election on that back of that would be an unconscionable act on her part.
“It is only a little over two and half years since the last election (which was also early). Tasmanian business needs certainty and stability and the current situation leading into what should be the busiest time of the trading calendar is extremely damaging to our business environment.
“I would urge Ms Archer to either resign from Parliament and allow another Liberal to take her place; or if she does wish to stay in Parliament, to provide a guarantee of confidence and supply to the Rockliff Liberal Government, and John Tucker and Lara Alexander have done.
“To throw doubt and confusion into the Parliament is not what her voters elected her to do”.
