Tasmanian Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff triggers early state election

Premier Jeremy Rockliff called an early poll on 14th February 2024 after governing in minority for more than eight months.

Transcript

00:00 I've just returned from visiting the Governor who has accepted my advice that the House

00:06 of Assembly be dissolved and that a general election be held on Saturday the 23rd of March.

00:15 Can I say very clearly, this election is about who is best able to restore stability and

00:24 certainty so Tasmania can take action on the issues affecting you right now.

00:33 We do have a strong plan which is all about addressing these important issues but the

00:38 Parliament has become unworkable.

00:42 I'm not going to allow myself or my Government to be held to ransom for the next 12 months.

00:51 It's bad for Tasmania and it's bad for Tasmanians.

00:56 So I've taken the decision to call an election so that Tasmanians can have their say.

01:06 Tasmania has come a long way over the last 10 years under majority Liberal Government

01:12 led by Will Hodgman, Peter Gutwin, myself and our team.

01:19 Under our plan we have gone from the worst performing state to the best performing state

01:26 on most economic measures.

01:29 We have delivered historically low unemployment and 53,000 new jobs have been created.

01:40 Construction of the new Bridgewater Bridge is underway and the first of two new Sphere

01:45 of Tasmania ferries will soon sail into Devonport.

01:50 And we've done all this and much more while maintaining the lowest debt of all the states

01:57 and without introducing any new taxes.

02:02 But I understand that like the rest of Australia we are facing some serious challenges right

02:10 now.

02:11 We've delivered an additional 298 hospital beds.

02:17 We've employed an extra 2,500 frontline health professionals including 1,390 nurses.

02:29 But there's more work to do with our health system and we can do better.

02:34 So we've done a lot but there's more to do.

02:39 That's why we've developed our strong plan for Tasmania's future to address these issues.

02:46 It's our 2030 Tasmania plan and it's all about how the Tasmanian Government can take more

02:52 pressure off you.

02:55 It's a strong plan which is all about taking more action on the issues affecting you right

03:01 now such as cost of living, such as health and such as housing.

03:09 Importantly we'll be taking action straight away with my Liberal Government ready to deliver

03:15 key parts of the plan immediately so Tasmanians can feel those benefits sooner.

03:22 Thank you.

03:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]