Greens leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff has apologised for comparing Premier Jeremy Rockliff to Joseph Stalin during a tense week in Tasmanian Parliament, according to reports from multiple news outlets.
The controversy unfolded during a fiery Question Time on Thursday, as reported by Pulse Tasmania. Premier Rockliff called on Dr Woodruff to withdraw the comparison, which he labelled as likening him to a “murderous regime”. “I am happy to be criticised for many things, but murdering my own people is not one of those that I accept,” Mr Rockliff told the parliament.
The exchange occurred a day after Mr Rockliff became the first premier in Tasmanian history to be censured by the parliament. The censure motion, brought by the Greens and supported by Labor, passed following weeks of turmoil for the government, including the resignations of two cabinet ministers, Jane Howlett and Madeleine Ogilvie, amid questions over taxpayer-funded legal fees.
According to ABC News, the Premier said he had been compared to Stalin on Wednesday. The issue was reignited on Thursday when Dr Woodruff objected to the Premier calling Labor leader Josh Willie “mate” in the chamber, suggesting the term was unparliamentary. Mr Rockliff responded by highlighting what he called a double standard. “So Stalin is all right, is it? … Mate is no good, but Stalin is fine?” he said.
Reporting from Sydney News Today and Omny Studio confirmed Dr Woodruff has since apologised and withdrawn the statement. According to a podcast summary, Dr Woodruff clarified she had intended to highlight what she called the Premier’s “historical manipulation” and not to make a direct equivalence with the dictator.