Tasmania Labor yet to concede defeat with Liberals expected to recommission government

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The final make up of Tasmania’s new parliament won't be known for up to two weeks. Although the liberals say they expect to be recommissioned as Tasmania’s next government. But labor is yet to concede, and some say the premier will need evidence he's locked in enough support, in order to get the green light. Despite that, Jeremy Rockliff says he wants to get on with the job of governing with his new team.

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00:00From being the Member for Braddon to being the Member for Braddon, shortly after retiring

00:07from Federal Parliament, Gavin Pearce is now a State MP.

00:11I believe that Braddon is the engine room of Tasmania's economy.

00:17I love it to the extent that I would do anything for it.

00:19In fact, I was retired for almost six weeks when I answered the call.

00:25His spot looks secure, but Parliament's full picture won't be known for two weeks.

00:30Counting continued today as the ten-day wait for all postal votes and the Division of Preferences

00:36continues.

00:37Jeremy Rockliffe's confident of remaining Premier.

00:40I've spoken to all potential crossbenchers.

00:44We need to get on with the job.

00:48Despite a three per cent swing towards them, the Liberals look to have kept the same number

00:52of seats and will need to find up to four partners from a mostly progressive crossbench,

00:59with Labor keeping its options open.

01:01So I have simply said, look, let's wait and see what the shape of the Parliament is like

01:06before we start talking about horse trading.

01:09I certainly want to see a government or a potential government be serious about budget repair.

01:14That means listening to the experts, listening to Treasury's advice.

01:18David Bartlett was the last Labor leader to stitch together a government with the Greens,

01:23doing so in 2010.

01:25I met with them every week.

01:26We had a protocol for dealing with issues.

01:30Back then, they were reluctant to label it a deal.

01:33There will be no deal with the Greens.

01:36We're not working on anything that could be described as an agreement or a charter.

01:41But it lasted four years.

01:44Mr Bartlett says stable government needs to be built on forming a working relationship,

01:50not deals.

01:51We have a protocol by which, over the term of the government, we can collaboratively build

01:55policy, particularly around the contentious areas like salmon, like greyhounds, like mariners,

02:02like the budget.

02:03Jeremy Rockleaf says he'll visit the Governor when the final results are in and asked to be

02:07returned as Premier.

02:09The Liberals say that as the biggest grouping in the new parliament, that should be enough.

02:14But constitutional experts are warning the ongoing instability, and a very similar set

02:20of MPs being voted back in, might prompt the Governor to play a more active role this

02:25time around.

02:27Any assurances that are provided by the crossbench will need, I suspect, to be in written form

02:33and be very clearly articulated as to the level of support that they would provide for a Rockcliffe

02:38government moving forward.

02:40The shroud of uncertainty still settling over Tasmania.

02:43The

02:46first time of the

02:50first time of the first time of the first time of the first time of the first time of

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