Newly elected Tasmanian Labor MPs insist they’ll fight to see the Coalition’s election promises honoured if Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull forms government. But former Braddon Liberal MHR Chris Miles says a Coalition government would not be obliged to do so because their election promises had been rejected by voters.
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Mr Miles, who held Braddon as both a government and opposition MP from 1984-1998, said the onus was on newly elected MHRs Justine Keay, Brian Mitchell and Ross Hart to argue for promises to be delivered.
“They can try to have a look at it but at the end of the day a government would say they’ve rejected our promises because they have voted against our member, therefore our promises have no effect,” he said.
The Coalition made a range of election promises in Braddon, Lyons and Bass, including delivering a fibre to the node NBN connection for the West Coast and $150 million to relocate the University of Tasmania’s Launceston and Burnie campuses. Both Ms Keay and Mr Mitchell said they expected the Liberals to fully fund their election commitments.
“It would be just absurd if the Liberals try and somehow rule that if their MPs are not elected they can renege on their promises,” Mr Mitchell said.
Mr Mitchell said he would campaign “very hard” for Labor’s promise of $15 million towards the Cradle Mountain Master Plan to be delivered, rather than the Coalition’s $1 million feasibility study.
Former Braddon Labor MHR Sid Sidebottom said it was “optimistic” to expect the Coalition to match Labor’s pledges, but said Mr Turnbull should be expected to deliver his promises.Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said the Coalition would deliver its promises if re-elected.
