- In short: Tasmania’s premier has announced his new cabinet, which sees him taking on new responsibilities — and the brand new portfolio of Stadia and Events
- What’s next? The Liberals are currently in minority, with the pair who defected from the party in May saying they should not be blamed for the government’s woes
Tasmania’s premier has dropped the health portfolio, saying he wants to be more involved in driving the state’s economic growth.
He made the comments while announcing his government cabinet reshuffle, which includes the creation of a new portfolio — “Stadia and Events”.
Today, Jeremy Rockliff announced a number of changes to his team, saying he wanted to send a “strong message about the priorities of his Liberal government”.
“By taking on State Development, I will continue to deliver on our long-term plan, and do what matters for all Tasmanians,” he said at a press conference in Hobart.
“Our population has grown, business has boomed, investors are buying in, and our state has transformed with new ventures, construction and developments actually happening.”
promised AFL stadium at Macquarie Point and the Tasmanian team into the national AFL competition.
The reshuffle of portfolios is as follows:
Jeremy Rockliff: Premier, State Development, Trade and the Antarctic, Tourism and Hospitality, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Michael Ferguson: Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Infrastructure and Transport, Planning
Elise Archer: Attorney-General, Justice, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Workplace Safety and Consumer Affairs, Arts
Guy Barnett: Health, Energy and Renewables, Veterans’ Affairs
Felix Ellis: Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, Resources, Racing
Roger Jaensch: Education, Children and Youth, Environment and Climate Change, Parks, Aboriginal Affairs
Madeleine Ogilvie: Small Business, Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Science and Technology, Heritage, Women and the Prevention of Family Violence
Jo Palmer: Primary Industries and Water, Community Services and Development, Disability Services, Deputy Leader for the Government in the Legislative Council
Nic Street: Housing and Construction, Local Government, Sport and Recreation, Stadia and Events, Leader of the House
In a statement, Labor Leader Rebecca White said Mr Rockliff’s “attempted reset does show he’s right about one thing – Tasmania does need change”.
“But with every desperate move from the Premier, it’s becoming increasingly clear we’re not going to get it from this 10 year old government.”
Ms White said it was “hard to see” how the reshuffle would “help Tasmanians struggling with health, housing and the cost of living”.
The reshuffle sees Felix Ellis take over the Racing portfolio from Madeleine Ogilvie as an independent investigation of harness racing in the state is underway. The probe was sparked by an ABC investigation that uncovered allegations of team driving and animal welfare concerns against Yole Racing in March.
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Acting Leader of the Tasmanian Greens, Rosalie Woodruff, said the Tasmanian government “needed more than a reset”.
“It’s just more puff and more desperate attempts to try and stave off internal political division in the Liberal Party,” she said.
“This has got nothing for Tasmanians struggling in a cost of living crisis. Today one in four Tasmanians will skip a meal and not turn the heating on.”
Ex-Liberals say ‘fault lies with premier’
In response to the reshuffle, independents Lara Alexander and John Tucker — whose defections in May forced the Liberals into minority rule — hit out at the “blame” they said they had received for the “woes of the government”.
In a joint statement, the pair said Mr Rockliff needed to start delivering “meaningful action on the real issues facing Tasmania”.
“It might be convenient to blame the two new independents, but the reality is the fault lies with the Premier and an inept Cabinet,” the pair said.
“The biggest threat to the government is not the crossbench. It is secrecy, public relations spin, and a lack of performance by the Rockliff government.
“Digging itself deeper into a hole of its own making is not going to help.”
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Source: abc.net.au
George Barham, an accomplished journalist and avid gambling enthusiast, serves as the esteemed Editor-in-Chief at fly-to-australia.com, Australia’s leading source for comprehensive gambling news and insights. With an unwavering passion for both the written word and the ever-evolving world of betting and gaming, George brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the helm of our editorial team.
