With only four days left of the five-week campaign, Mr Bartlett clearly stated for the first time last night that he would accept defeat if Labor ended up with fewer seats.

The surprise admission came towards the end of The Examiner State Leaders Debate last night.

In the past, Mr Bartlett has spoken openly about taking the fight for leadership to the floor of Parliament to be decided in the event of a minority government.

But Opposition Leader Will Hodgman was obviously taken aback when Mr Bartlett replied with a firm "yes" to Mr Hodgman's question: "Will you resign as Premier if you have fewer seats than us?"

Last night's debate also signalled a deadlocked Parliament if Saturday's election result is the same as the political polls have predicted.

The leaders of both major parties reiterated that they would not negotiate on any of their big spending commitments.

This is despite Labor now racking up more than $474 million in election promises with the Greens not far behind on $452 million.

The Liberals' spending commitments so far sit at $363 million.

Only Mr McKim said that his party would go to the negotiation table with no ultimatums.

"We are not going to say that all our policies are ultimatum- based and that if we don't get them all, we won't take any of them because that is disrespectful of the will of the Tasmanian people," he said.

In a 75-minute debate that spanned a range of issues from education to local government last night, the leaders' grilling of each other on minority government brought the most surprising answers and the most rowdy response from an audience of more than 500.

People jeered when Mr Bartlett mumbled, "thanks for the non-answer", after a speech from Mr McKim on his party's response prompted loud clapping from the audience.

Despite the results of the past three state polls indicating a Tasmanian minority government, Mr Hodgman told the audience that he believed the Liberals were the only party that could win majority government.

Mr Bartlett said that he would be the only Tasmanian leader who was ready to go to the Commonwealth ministers' conference early next month, roll up his sleeves and work hard with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on instigating the most wide-ranging health reforms in Australia's history.