Position vacant: government with integrity

Posted by Michael on Apr 8, 2010 in News | 5 comments

I’ve just driven back up North from two days in Hobart.  Getting familiar with the Tasmanian Parliament and setting up for the time ahead.

While driving, I listened to the live broadcast of the caretaker Premier Bartlett breathing his pathetic attempt to argue that somehow Will Hodgman had “failed to form a government” despite Labor’s supposed best efforts to facilitate the change.

Lie.

The truth is that two things happened in the last two days that have led to Labor exending their 12 year rule on power to 16 years – and both illustrate the desperate measures that dishonourable parties have been willing to take in order to cling to power that the voting public denied:

• Labor reneged on its undertaking to genuinely support a Liberal minority government by failing to give the promised and needed undertakings when they were sought. 
• Greens decide to support the Labor government that for the last few years they have described as corrupt, incompetent and dishonest.  McKim has shape-shifted.  This is a significant change and one which will rightly lead many Tasmanians to feel that their vote has been utterly abused and misappropriated.

These two dishonourable acts are an ugly stain on Tasmanian politics. 

The Liberals regard this Labor/Green government as illegitimate and we will move a vote of no confidence from the floor of the House of Assembly at the earliest opportunity.

I am certainly not concerned personally about being in opposition.  Being elected to the Tasmanian Parliament with such a strong show of support from the people of Bass is a massive honour.

But I am devastated for Tasmanians – knowing that their hopes for a better future and a government they can be proud of have been utterly dashed.

From here we continue to stay close to everyday Tasmanians, to focus on our current and future needs, to shine the bright light of scrutiny on the desperate Labor/Green government and to stay focussed on winning a Liberal Government at the next opportunity.

Please stay with us.  Your support is needed more than ever.

If you are not a member of the Liberal Party but would like to be, then now is the time to get motivated -  please contact me and allow me to introduce you asap.