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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

However, one day after my blog entry has been going, it will have changed, so you can still find out more here.

Wikipedia is accessed 150 million times a day so this represents great exposure of one of Northern Tasmania’s more prominent war heroes. I don’t know on what basis Wikipedia select their feature articles – the good thing is that the benefits are real although incalculable: Tasmania is being brought up in the mind of many internet users worldwide and many will click through to find out more about our state.
It’s exactly these sort of organic connections between Tasmania and the rest of the world that we need to foster and develop. For example, Lonely Planet’s decision to name the Bay of Fires as the top travel destination for 2009 is advertising that money can’t buy. As Tasmania’s reputation for being clean, green, safe and beautiful grows, more and more people will want to visit here, perhaps stay, and share their experiences with their networks.

I am mindful that there is a section of the Tasmanian community made up of individuals who, while having concerns that they legitimately want considered, miss no opportunity to spoil our reputation and economic prospects whenever they can – and in the end, end up dividing our community. I am referring of course to the Greens Party.

It’s a shame that our arguments aren’t kept within our state in a mature and robust way. But at the end of the day (as they say) no one is going to come away from a debate with everything they want. We all know that the Greens support the environment but there is much more that we need to consider when we look to improving the long term fortunes of Tasmania.

So let’s face it, there is no room for Greens Party members to broadcast their campaigns, run their full page newspaper ads and sabotage export deals in other states and nations. These actions only hurt Tasmanian families and hand over market and job opportunities to other countries (often with much lower environmental credentials).

What’s important is that on issues to do with our environment and job-rich industries, we don’t tolerate the behaviour of those who want to sabotage our reputation and our economy.  We need to work together to re-unite our community, focus on preparing our state now for the long term challenges and forget the old-school, divisive politics of Labor and the Greens.

We are a community – not a bunch of individuals who have to take a corner on every issue. So let’s agree to strive for a state whose people respect each other enough to sometimes argue, sometimes agree and, if necessary, agree to disagree. That way, we protect what we have while protecting our future direction – whatever that may be.

The Labor Party and the Greens should focus on the issues that matter to Tasmanians, not hypothetical post-election scenarios.

One of the reasons Tasmania is heading in the wrong direction after 11 years of Labor is because it has been too focussed on short-term political problems than the long term interests of our State.

In Question Time today, both David Bartlett and Nick McKim were more interested in speculating on the March election outcome rather than any other issues of importance. I call on them both to focus on issues that matter to ordinary Tasmanians, and on delivering the leadership and vision that this State needs.

That’s why in Question Time today, I’ve urged the Premier to agree to my request for a bi-partisan case to be made to the Prime Minister for federal funding for a long-term vision for the Midland Highway. I also tried to get some clarity from the Premier over whether he would ever support a four-lane divided highway, which is what Tasmanians deserve and what a Hodgman Liberal Government will deliver. Regrettably, Premier Bartlett provided answers to neither.

I sought answers as to how the government would fund the water and sewerage concessions it backflipped on yesterday and highlighted the comprehensive bungling of these reforms by Treasurer Aird.

The Tasmanian Liberals have also focussed on our leadership and vision in road safety, the need for the Premier to be transparent over the Scott Gadd contract scandal, and sought assurances that Tasmania’s GST share will be protected.

The insular navel-gazing being conducted by Nick McKim and David Bartlett – because of the tangled web that the Premier weaved for himself flip-flopping on this issue – won’t help a single Tasmanian.

The election is seven months away. We have spelled out our position.

The failure of David Bartlett and Nick McKim to focus on the issues that matter to Tasmanians during the first Question Time after the long winter break, show just how out of touch with ordinary Tasmanians they have become in the pursuit of power.

Mr Ferguson said this was his strong personal view and noted that the Parliamentary Liberal Party had adopted a conscience vote position on the matter.

“Mr McKim is trying to create the impression that people are not being allowed choices in their treatment. Current systems do give people choice. Medical interventions can be withdrawn.

“What Mr McKim is really talking about here is not ‘dying with dignity’ – it’s assisted suicide.

“The term ‘dying with dignity’ has long been associated with palliative care, pain management and compassionate end-of-life care. Sadly, this new debate is being held when there are unaddressed gaps in Tasmania’s palliative care services – including the availability of dedicated, publicly funded, palliative care beds in Northern Tasmania.

“This week is Palliative Care Week (24-30 May; www.palliativecare.org.au). It’s quite disgusting that Mr McKim is shamelessly hijacking Palliative Care Week with a bill quite contrary to the policies and values of Palliative Care Australia.

“I know that many palliative care practitioners feel upstaged and disappointed that their opportunity to advocate for better services and support has been taken from them.”

“Instead of advocating for improved palliative places and services he’s opened an ill-conceived debate on assisted suicide.

“Surely that is at the heart of many peoples’ fears – that instead of improved health services this is all going to be about dying quickly and not being a burden. There is simply no avoiding the difficult fact that dying is a normal but distressing part of the human experience of life.

“People like me who have a strong belief in the sanctity of life will always fight harder for improved health services.

“I have no problem with medically-sanctioned withdrawal of interventions when life is being artificially and painfully prolonged by medicines and machines. However, this is current medical practice and involves family discussion.