The Tasmanian Constitution Society commends the Premier of Tasmania for her affirmation of the three party agreement made on the 2nd September 2010 to restore the Tasmanian House of Assembly to 35 seats, and her recognition of the necessity for doing so.
The Tasmanian Constitution Society notes that such a restoration is essential both to re-establish a viable parliamentary committee system and to provide a credible critical mass of elected representatives, which can both, provide effective ministries and secure the needs of the constituencies of Tasmania.
Such a restoration will ensure our Parliament has the capacity to make effective decisions for Tasmania’s economic future which to date it has not been able to do.
A workable democracy is of inestimable value.
David Diprose convenor TCS
Peter Chapman deputy convenor TCS
First published: 2011-02-14 01:56 PM
ABC Radio*: The State Liberal Party has withdrawn support for a restoration of the House of Assembly; destroying the three party agreement made on the 2nd September 2010 to restore the Tasmanian House of Assembly to 35 seats. Leader Will Hodgman saysthe plan is still the right one, but with the State Budget crisis, it is now the wrong time.
(*ABC Online and Mercury Online appear to be strictly 9-5, weekends off).
Libs drop support for extra MPs
SUE NEALES | February 17, 2011 12.01am
TASMANIANS will not be voting for more politicians at the next state election after the State Opposition yesterday spectacularly axed its support for a bigger House of Assembly.
The 11 Liberal members of State Parliament voted to withdraw their partisan backing of the plan to restore the House to 35 members, in light of the state’s financial crisis.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman said it would be irresponsible to consider adding 10 more MPs, with all the associated costs, at a time when the Government is considering sacking 2300 public servants.
“We need more teachers, nurses and police officers much more than we need 10 extra politicians,” Mr Hodgman said last night.
“This is about clearly stating our priorities; we all need to be reining in costs and politicians are not immune from that.”
He said it remained longer-term Liberal policy to restore the size of Parliament once the state’s finances were back on a sustainable footing.
It has been estimated that adding 10 more MPs to the House of Assembly, the number axed in 1998 to save money while the state cut devastating debt, would cost an extra $12 million a year.
Premier Lara Giddings last week warned $1 billion of savings had been spent by the Labor Government over the past two years, leaving “no hay in the barn” and an urgent need to cut public sector spending by $200 million a year.
Ms Giddings, who is also Treasurer, predicted the State Budget would not be back in surplus for at least three years.
Until yesterday, a bigger House was backed by all three parties.
Reverting to 35 MPs would mean Tasmanians voting for seven MPs from each of the state’s five multi-seat electorates at election time, instead of the current five.
It will now be up to Labor and its Greens partners in government to decide if they can push …
Read the rest, Mercury Online, HERE
ABC Online:
Bigger Parliament ‘dead in the water’
Lara Giddings says the idea of increasing the size of the Tasmanian parliament is now dead in the water.
The Premier said the change was not a high priority for the Government after the Liberals dumped support for the proposal.
Ms Giddings said it was an election policy for the Liberals and the Greens, but not the Government.
However the Labor Party had welcomed a tri-partisan agreement.
She said it may occur in the future after the State budget improves.
The Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said he has the backing of the party to withdraw support to return the House of Assembly to 35 members following the revelations of an expected $1.4 billion budget black hole and threatened job losses for more than 2,300 public servants.
