- In short: Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White says it will be up to the Liberal Party to try to negotiate with the new crossbench and form a government.
- The Liberals need 18 votes in the lower house to govern but will finish with between 14 and 16 seats — meaning they will likely need the help of the Jacqui Lambie Network and the independents.
- What's next? Rebecca White's leadership position will automatically become vacant but she has not indicated if she will put her hand up for it again.
Tasmanian Labor has declared it has lost the state election and will not attempt to form a minority government.
Despite leader Rebecca White leaving the door open for Labor to form a minority government on election night, the party's state administrative committee ruled the election lost the next morning.
Party sources told the ABC that meant there was no path to forming a Labor government.
Ms White echoed that sentiment later on Sunday, when she officially conceded defeat.
She said it was clear that while no party had gained a majority, the Liberals had secured more seats and would be asked by the governor to form a government.
The election loss will make the party leader position vacant at a post-election partyroom meeting.
When asked if she would put up her hand again after three election losses, Ms White said, "I haven't read the rules this morning … it hasn't been the highest priority".
She said when the make-up of the parliamentary Labor Party was known — which could take several weeks — the question of who would be leader would be determined.
"Any circumstance like this requires the caucus to come together and make a decision about the next steps that they take," Ms White said.
The party rules mean the leader has to be elected by a ballot of the parliamentary party members, and eligible party members.
For now, Ms White said she would "take the next couple of days to spend time with my family".
"I'll talk to my colleagues, but what I will always do is work collaboratively with them and we'll make decisions as a consensus group.
"I'm not about to make any declarations today."
Up to Rockliff 'to make it work', White says
Ms White said Premier Jeremy Rockliff would need to form a minority government.
"This result demonstrates that it's very hard for Labor to win government," she said.
"Ultimately it will be up to him to make it work."
The only path to Labor minority government would have required the support of the Greens.
Rockliff picks up the phone to the crossbench
Earlier on Sunday, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had already made contact with those likely to be sitting on the crossbench after Saturday's election.
"I look forward to discussions over the course of the coming week, I have already reached out to potential independents and indeed the Lambie party as well," Mr Rockliff said.
"I look forward to those ongoing discussions to ensure I'm confident that the new people that are elected to the Tasmanian parliament will want that certainty and stability that Tasmanians of course clearly deserve."
Mr Rockliff said he was confident his party could form minority government but the Liberals would not attempt to negotiate with the Greens.
"[Tasmanians] have given the Liberal Party a mandate to form a new government, a new government we will form," he said.
"And [we will] respect the will of the voters and work with the crossbenchers to deliver that certainty and stability."
Jacqui Lambie Network to play major role
The Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) appears a major chance at winning three seats in the next parliament – one each in Bass, Braddon and Lyons.
The Liberal Party could finish on between 14 and 16, meaning it would require the support of the JLN to form government, and reach the 18 seats required for a majority.
Loading...Independents Kristie Johnston and David O'Byrne will be returned in Clark and Franklin.
Each of the crossbenchers has a difficult history with the Liberal Party.
On Saturday night, Jacqui Lambie continued to call out the Liberals for their use of her party's name in the URL of an attack website.
The Liberal-owned website lambienetwork.com mimics the URL for the real JLN website lambienetwork.com.au.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Liberal site began redirecting readers to Google.
On election night, Senator Lambie said the party had done "a really crap job in the last 10 years".
But she said the decision on whether to support a Liberal minority government would be up to her individual MPs, not her.
Ms Johnston has been a vocal critic of the Liberals throughout the last term of government, particularly around integrity matters and the state's racing industry.
Mr O'Byrne has also been a lifelong Labor supporter and critic of the Liberals.
Neither independent would be likely to support the Liberals.
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2024-03-24 02:16:42Z
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