Ghosts of Labor and Liberal past urge restoration of 35 MPs

Frank Madill

• GHOSTS OF LABOR AND LIBERAL PAST URGE RESTORATION OF 35 MPS
Labor & Liberal MPs Should Back Democratic Reform

The Tasmanian Greens said that comments in today’s (Saturday) Examiner newspaper by previous State Liberal Speaker, Frank Madill, calling for the House of Assembly numbers to be restored to 35, adds further pressure for this important reform to be implemented.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that Mr Madill’s comments was yet another admission by those responsible for the undemocratic cuts rammed through the State Parliament in 1998 that they got it wrong, and that Tasmania’s democracy was now suffering as a result.

“Barely two weeks after ex-Labor Premier, Paul Lennon, one of the architects of the now notorious move to undercut our democratic system by cutting MP numbers, called for the swift return of the Lower House numbers back to 35, we now have Mr Madill backing that call.” [1]

“Mr Madill was Liberal Speaker at the time Labor and Liberal parties colluded to cut the numbers, and now he is admitting that restoring the numbers is a key parliamentary reform that must be prioritised.”

“When ghosts of Labor and Liberal past stump up and acknowledge they got it badly wrong and it is Tasmania that is now paying the price, then it is high time for current Labor and Liberal MPs to heed the call and fix the mistake.”

“The Greens urge Will Hodgman and Lara Giddings to deliver on the Leaders’ Agreement of September 2010, signed by all three party leaders, agreeing to legislate to restore the House of Assembly numbers to its rightful 35, and for that to be in place by the next state election,” Mr McKim said.

[1] The Examiner, 19 June 2012

Download: Leaders’ Agreement on Parliamentary Reform, signed 2nd September 2010:
Agreement-for-Parliamentary-Reform.pdf