A tumultuous week in state politics saw Premier Jeremy Rockliff become the first premier in Tasmanian history to be censured by the Parliament. The motion on Wednesday was brought by the Greens and passed with support from the Labor opposition and several crossbenchers, ABC News reported.
The censure followed what the Greens described as a “legal fees scandal” that has surrounded the government in recent weeks. According to reporting from Australian News, the motion passed 16 to 12 and, while symbolic, reflected growing dissatisfaction with the Premier’s handling of controversies involving his ministers.
The events came just a day after the Premier announced he had accepted the resignation of Minister Jane Howlett. In a media release dated 16 June, Mr Rockliff stated Ms Howlett had decided to step aside to ensure the Government could remain focused on its work. In that same statement, the Premier criticised what he called “relentless political attacks” and “political games”.
ABC News reported that the controversy relates to taxpayer funds being used for legal action involving Ms Howlett and another minister, Madeleine Ogilvie, and a confidential Integrity Commission investigation.
The censure motion was a “caution to the Premier” to be attentive to the conduct of his ministers, the Greens said in a statement.
Not all members supported the motion. The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers member for Lyons, Carlo Di Falco, told parliament he would not support the censure, decrying “political manoevring”, the New Norfolk News reported. Mr Di Falco said his constituents wanted parliament to focus on issues like the cost of living, not “political theatre”.
The phrase “political games” has been a recurring theme. Back in March, the Sorell Times noted that Premier Rockliff was fond of saying people are “sick of the political games” as the minority parliament began a new session.
For more detail on the parliamentary censure and ministerial resignation, see the original reporting from ABC News.