An upper house member is pushing for an independent review of parliament numbers after the next state election.
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McIntyre-West independent MLC Greg Hall this week gave notice he would move a motion which called upon whichever government was elected to establish an independent panel to examine the effectiveness of Tasmanian Parliament at its current size.
Parliamentary numbers were cut by the Rundle Liberal Government in 1998, based on the Nixon Report on the state’s economy.
Others saw it as a cynical move by the major parties to squeeze out the Greens.
In 2010, then Opposition Leader Will Hodgman, former Premier David Bartlett and former Greens’ Leader, Nick McKim all signed an agreement to look at restoring parliamentarian numbers.
But Mr Hodgman said the party’s position was not to increase the numbers in parliament, considering the extra money to support this would be better spent in areas like health
“It’s not our policy position and it will not be at the next election,” he said.
Opposition Leader Rebecca White said while increasing the size of parliament was not a priority for the party, it was open to a discussion if the budget situation improved.
“Thirty-five seats would allow for a more diverse representation and a stronger committee system to investigate different issues in more detail,” she said.
“We are not opposed to an independent, cost-effective review.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the plot in 1998 failed at the cost to democracy and good governance.
“Nearly twenty years on, it has become painfully obvious the parliamentary talent pool is too shallow, with ministers holding multiple, hefty portfolios and the Premier scratching around when he needs a replacement minister,” she said.
Ms O’Connor added several members have heavy committee workloads as well.