Article
Greens: COI Budget Bill Should be Parliament’s Priority
Media release – Rosalie Woodruff MP, Greens Leader, 11 October 2023
COI Budget Bill Should be Parliament’s Priority
Despite both major parties saying their top priority is the Commission of Inquiry response, we are now hurtling towards a parliamentary week where politics is put first instead.
This simply isn’t good enough. Both the Liberals and Labor have to take responsibility for ensuring the CoI budget bill passes as quickly as possible.
The Greens are calling on the government and opposition to use the mechanisms of Parliament to pass this Bill before considering any other business, so members can fulfil our obligation to victim-survivors and the wider community.
We propose:
- The government commits to tabling the CoI Bill on Tuesday and debating it as the first order of business that day
- The opposition commits to not moving a motion of no confidence in the government until Wednesday.
This simple agreement acknowledges the importance of testing the House’s confidence in the government after the chaotic events since Parliament rose, while also ensuring the passage of the CoI budget bill regardless of the outcome of any no-confidence vote.
Given the continued disarray within the Liberal party, and the statements made in recent days by key independents, we recognise it is necessary to test the House’s confidence in the government. However we believe it is in the best interest of Tasmanians for the Labor party to wait one extra day to allow the crucial Commission of Inquiry funding bill can pass first.
Given the Premier has spoken often of the importance of passing this CoI funding bill as a priority, it should be an obvious choice for him to agree that this bill becomes the government’s first order of business on Tuesday when parliament returns. It would demonstrate bad faith to victim-survivors if the Liberals delayed a debate and vote on this CoI bill, just to use it as a political shield to protect them from a vote of no-confidence.
If the government agrees to our proposal, the Greens would expect all Members would be provided a final version of the CoI funding bill before Parliament sits on Tuesday.
In the wake of the momentous and historic Commission of Inquiry report, Tasmanians are looking to their elected representatives for leadership and action. All MPs have a responsibility to meet this expectation.
The Liberal and Labor parties have said many times they are committed to prioritising action on the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations. If their commitment to Tasmanians still stands, we believe they should accept this proposal.
Media release – Dean Winter MP, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, 10 October 2023
Labor to move no confidence motion in Premier
Labor has today confirmed it will move a no confidence motion in Premier Jeremy Rockliff when parliament returns on October 17.
This is a Premier that is presiding over one of the most unstable governments in living memory.
Under Jeremy Rockliff’s disastrous leadership, the Liberals have lost sight of the issues that matter to Tasmanians.
We need a government focussed on Tasmanians, not on itself.
Independents John Tucker and Lara Alexander’s change in language over the past two weeks shows their confidence in the Premier has evaporated too, with Mr Tucker going as far as describing the Premier as a ‘lame duck’ and Ms Alexander saying there should be an election.
This level of uncertainty in the Premier’s leadership is too great to just sweep under the carpet – confidence of the house needs to be tested and Labor will make sure it is when parliament resumes.
Media release – Felix Ellis, Leader of the House, 10 October 2023
Labor once again confirms it can’t be trusted
Labor has once again proven its only plan for Tasmania is to pull negative time-wasting political stunts.
The Opposition today confirmed the only reason they are itching to get back to Parliament is to move a stunt motion and disrupt important legislation in the House.
Not because they care about the Commission of Inquiry, stability for business, certainty for the community nor anything else that is important to Tasmanians.
No – they want to pull another stunt.
Rebecca White was so embarrassed about Labor’s bald-faced political tactics that she refused put her own name to them. Instead, she has marched out Josh Willie to do her dirty work, along with her leadership rival Mr Winter.
On Sunday, Ms White said we needed to get back to Parliament without delay to progress the Government’s legislative agenda.
Today, she has sent out Josh Willie to confirm Labor’s only priority is to try and block the Government’s agenda and waste more time in Parliament playing political games.
Tasmanians don’t like their politicians pulling time-wasting stunts for a headline. They expect their politicians to get on with the job of improving their lives.
If there’s one thing Labor is consistent about, it’s that they can’t be trusted.
Unlike wishy-washy Ms White, Tasmanians always know where Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberal Government stands.
Our Government has a strong legislative agenda for Tasmanians, including delivering on the Commission on Inquiry’s recommendations, and we will continue to focus on what matters for Tasmanians not the immature Opposition who will continue to play politics.
We will also seek to sit late for every hour that Labor wastes on stunts, because Tasmanians expect us to get the job done.