Media release – Andrew Jenner, Jacqui Lambie Network MHA for Lyons, 16 September 2024
Andrew Jenner: no agreement
The Jacqui Lambie Network Member for Lyons, Andrew Jenner, has announced he will not be entering into a new confidence and supply deal with the Rockliff government.
Mr Jenner said today that he was unable to sign a new agreement because the Premier refused to end the Liberal Party’s use of public funds to pay for what the Integrity Commission has labelled electoral bribery.
“This is a very serious issue, and I am not prepared to sign any agreement which allows what the Integrity Commission has labelled ‘indirect electoral bribery’ to continue,” Mr Jenner said.
“It is nothing more than blatant vote-buying at taxpayers’ expense. The Liberal Party has eliminated any distinction between the public interest and its own political interest when it comes to election promises.
“Over three elections it has made promises totalling more than $4 billion and, as the Eslake Report revealed, its unfunded election commitments have been a big factor in the rapid deterioration of public finances and the headlong plunge into $8.5 billion of debt. This must stop.
“Last week the Premier said he made no apologies for his MP’s spending money out in the community. Let me make this perfectly clear: if something needs funding then it should get it, but why is it always in the few weeks before an election?
“Community groups and volunteer groups shouldn’t just be promised money during an election campaign – if it wasn’t just blatant vote buying then that money would be given throughout the government’s term.” said Mr Jenner.
The Eslake report blew the lid off the state’s finances and attributed a large part of the state’s debt to unfunded election commitments.
“If the government wants to throw around taxpayer money during an election, that money needs to be spent in a way that benefits the greatest number of Tasmanians – not just Liberal voters.
“The recommendations outlined in the integrity commission report would simply be bringing Tasmanian legislation on electoral commitments in line with the Commonwealth legislation. The Liberals are acting like this has never been done before. It has and it is.
“This is about bringing Tasmania in line with the Commonwealth. If the Federal government can follow these guidelines, I see no reason why the Tasmanian government can’t.”
Josh Willie MP, Shadow Treasurer, 16 September 2024
The Liberals prove they are addicted to pork barreling
The Premier is tying himself in knots trying to prevent his pork barrelling being put to an end.
He claims Labor’s plan would give too much power to public servants – despite the fact that scores of government grant processes already operate in exactly this way.
And the hypocrisy is especially staggering given the Liberals have given control of $450 million of cuts over to their “unelected” departments.
Why is it wrong for departments to determine how grants are allocated, but totally fine for them to decide which health workers will lose their jobs?
The Premier is in a complete mess here, because he simply refuses to give up his pork barrelling addiction.
Premier Rockliff has even prioritised political handouts over his government’s stability.
He has failed to seal a confidence and supply deal with the Jacqui Lambie Network MP Andrew Jenner, who this morning publicly accused the Liberal Party of failing to secure a deal with him due to their addiction to pork barrelling.
Mr Jenner revealed that during negotiations over a new deal, he insisted the government stop pork barrelling – a demand they refused to meet.
This means the Liberals are completely reliant on the two former JLN members, plus David O’Byrne and Kristie Johnston.
It’s a long way from the stability Jeremy Rockliff promised at the election and should be particularly concerning for the Premier given Mr Jenner also declined to say he has confidence in Treasurer Michael Ferguson.
Media release – Eric Abetz, Leader of the House, 16 September 2024
Labor back in bed with the Greens
The Labor Opposition is back in bed with the Greens planning to trash Tasmanian democracy and entrench big brother Government in the State.
Dean Winter’s plans to have a politburo of bureaucrats review and strike out election commitments should send a shiver through the community.
It’s up to Tasmanian voters to decide how their money is spent, not unelected government employees.
The Government is elected to govern, not to have its election commitments buried by red tape and outsourced to unelected, unaccountable officials.
Democratically elected members of Parliament should not be the ventriloquist dolls of bureaucrats.
Its no surprise Mr Winter is already walking back on his latest thought bubble, refusing to say if he will seek to bring this undemocratic Labor-Greens policy on this term.
The only safe, secure jobs Mr Winter is really interested in is growing an army of all-powerful, unelected government employees making decisions that Tasmania’s elected representatives are there to deliver on behalf of voters.
Ted Mead
September 16, 2024 at 14:30
This was predictable from the outset!
It is only a matter of time before the wheels fall off the Liberal’s delusional, dysfunctional and arrogant bandwagon!
But what is the alternative? Even if another election prevailed through lack of confidence, any reshuffling of the deckchairs will only result in the same snakes in the same cesspit whereby the vacuous buffoons of Abetz, Barnett, Ferguson and Rockliff would undoubtedly be re-elected.
So, as they say, when clowns move into a palace, they don’t become kings – the palace just becomes a circus!
What an incredibly mundane parliament Tasmania has now – wherein the entire Lower House lacks charisma and initiative – and seemingly no scope for balance of influential power.
Leah
September 16, 2024 at 20:34
What I heard from the Liberals during the election was that all these promises were for a majority government.
Did all the promises go ahead – even though the Liberals are in minority?
Roderick
September 17, 2024 at 23:40
Josh Willie, your party is equally at fault for your lengthy destruction of Tasmania’s environment and the pandering to the ignorant and uneducated Tasmanians who kept Labor in power for far too many years. Your premier Mr Jim Bacon appropriated the Greens slogan “Clean and Green Tasmania”. It was, and still is, a lie.
Who came first – the Bacon or the pig? Your party is as guilty as the Liberal government in attempting to remove planning issues from proper scrutiny. Do you remember Lennon and the critically non compliant Gunns’ pulp mill proposal?
I suppose you enjoy keeping some Tasmanians dumb and in the dark – but more Tasmanians are now awake to the hypocrisy of Labor and the Liberals. I would be more than happy if most members of the lower house were removed to Sarah Island for the term of their unnatural lives.