Believe me, this has been a tough decision!
At the age of 30 I was elected Member of the House of Representatives for Bass at the 2004 election. It was an enormous honour and great opportunity given to me by the Liberal Party and more importantly by the people of Northern Tasmania. I will always be incredibly grateful.
I’m proud to say that together with my team (and the support of Australia’s most successful Prime Minister) I achieved an amazing amount in that time which enhanced the quality of life for the people of our community.
Frankly, while it was tough work and there was no end of problems for me to work on solving, I loved it. Despite achieving 4,005 more primary votes than the next nearest candidate the seat was eventually won by Labor using Green preferences in 2007. It was very tempting to go back and continue the work I started. In fact, many people have stopped me in the street and urged me to return; often saying that the current member is out of her depth.
Fair enough – I totally understand. There is a big part of me that would like to see the Federal seat of Bass returned to effective leadership and standing up for the region.
However I’ve reached a decision which is not based on personal ambition. My motivation is to offer my values, experience, integrity and abilities where they are most needed and where they can be most effective in achieving my vision for Tassie. (My vision is to see the people of Tasmania become the happiest people, enjoying the best quality of life in Australia.)
Hey, take a look at our old, compromised, complacent (some say corrupt) government here in Tasmania. We must have a change and I’ve decided to bring the support I enjoy in the community to help make that happen. It’s a decision I’ve not taken lightly – this is big.
We Tasmanians have a deep responsibility to save Tasmania’s reputation and future prosperity by getting rid of this filthy and wasteful government.
The Liberal team, led by the Will Hodgman, have new ideas about how to tackle the many issues facing us. It’s through leadership and vision instead of scandals, crisis-management and the politics of division.
Now at the age of 35, I’m proud to be a part of that team and call on you to join us in our quest to unlock Tasmania’s potential and make it a better, happier place for every Tasmanian.
hi michael,
…..
im all for getting our hospitals sorted and cleaning up the tamar river.
As far as our young people are concerned they will still leave the state no matter what we do as they crave excitement and we just dont have what they want here.
As for the pokies….there should not be a monopely with federal hotels and the amount of poker machines should be halved and yes i was a problem gambler at the launceston casino i was there every night till i was nearly broke ….i have been to the casino 3 times in the last 7 years so im proud i could beat my addiction.
all the best with your campaign.
G—–
It will be great to have you back in politics and as Our representative in the North.
May your career be long and successful.
Kind regards,
Annette
We will give three rousing cheers for that, Michael. It will be so good to have you back where we need you. All the best lad.
All the best Michael, you will do well, all you really need to do is ‘move aside’ the negative greens. Good luck to you, and your family.
Great news for Northern Tasmania, and what an added boost for the State Liberal Party. With your knowledge and ability to ‘ get to the bottom of things’ in the interest of all the people of the northern regions, we are confident that you will be a valuable member of the true blue team. Hearty congrtualtions on your decision to accept nomination Michael.
Shirley Cooper
Congratulations on a very sound decision Michael. There is no other better suited to the job. The State Libs will win this time.
This is the best news I have heard in a long time! Tassie deserves better and there is no better person for the job than you!
Dear all, thanks for those comments and encouragement. it’s not about me of course, but what i stand for and what tassie should (must) become. As a state, we can be much better than this and get off the bottom of the national stats. It’s time for Tasmania to earn the reputation she really deserves.
Michael
Michael, you are right, but you are the most reliable & honest politician around. I know as I have known you and your family for years. The politicians here in Victoria are the same as each other. They lie, cheat and steal from every one. I have seen this so many times in Victoria. You have done a great job and you must keep doing your job well and never give up. People will vote you back because they will surly find out the ones that won your position will loose it very quickly because they wont be able to keep their promises they had made before hand.