The year has seen a slide in popularity for the party and its leader, to the point where a minority government scenario is increasingly more likely.

There have been legislative failures in some of the government’s key policies, including an aggressive campaign to seize control of TasWater from the councils which was overwhelmingly opposed by the state’s upper house.

The prospect of a legislative block became apparent with Labor winning two seats in the Legislative Council this year, taking one away from the Liberals and another away from Tony Mulder, known to back many of the government’s policies.

Its plan to impose mandatory sentences for assaults on off-duty police officers as well as frontline health and emergency services was sunk, as was its plan to introduce minimum sentences for sexual offences committed against children.

Their plan to open up informally reserved forested areas, made so under the previous government, to logging was also kicked out by Legislative Councillors.

The government itself reneged on a hard-fought policy to voluntarily lower the school starting age by six months, despite the plan having the support from the state’s top educators, academics, business people and economic brains. 

Add to that two ministerial resignations from senior portfolios, allegations of misconduct in senior levels of the public service, and late emerging issues within senior management of the Tasmanian Health Service, and it might appear to be the year from hell.

But Mr Hodgman, often labelled by detractors as the ‘Good News Premier’, reflects on a year that has seen continued economic growth, as well as improvements in health and education, under his government

“It’s certainly been a challenging year for us,” he said.

“But the depth of our team is a great advantage to us so we’ve been able to manage that well.

“In terms of the state service, there are tens of thousands working within it and there will be challenges that will arise (and) we want to make sure that we’ve got the best systems, processes, and supports in place.

“With respect to our legislative agenda, we respect the democratic process and we have delivered almost all of our election commitments.”

Mr Hodgman said the party had a positive story to tell during the state election campaign.

“There’s a lot of optimism in the community and business confidence is high.

“The North of the state is beginning to stir quite noticeably in terms of development opportunities and investment. 

“We’ve taken the state from recession to sustained growth, brought the budget back into surplus, and will continue to do so in our second term with a strong agenda to support our competitive strengths.”

Mr Hodgman identified the state’s strengths as lying within a growing tourism industry and growing the state’s renewable energy capacity.

But he said traditional industries like mining, forestry, aquaculture and agriculture would not be forgotten; marking them as an important part in “turbocharging” the state’s regions.

The Liberals failed to keep Labor out of the upper house in the recent Pembroke campaign, preferring instead to campaign against high-profile independent candidate Doug Chipman.

Mr Hodgman denied the campaign methods employed by the party’s executive and campaign arm had damaged the work of the Parliamentary Liberal Party.

“In terms of the Pembroke election … we put a good candidate forward but the campaign was far from perfect,” he said.

“You learn from experience.”

The Liberals go into this election campaign on the same approval rating as Labor, according to this month’s EMRS poll.

The two parties have not been equal since the 2010 election which resulted in a hung parliament and Labor and the Greens agreeing to form a coalition.

Labor Leader Rebecca White holds a 48 per cent personal approval rating as preferred premier to Mr Hodgman’s 35-per-cent; a slip of 15 points from the start of the year.

“I believe Labor changing leaders has certainly presented them in a different light but when you scratch the surface there is not a lot that is different in terms of policy substance,” he said.

“I don’t think an election should be a popularity contest. It should be decided on the basis of policies.”

The Liberal leader has said on several occasions, the party will govern in majority or not at all.

He denied this statement suggested that the Liberals were prepared to abandon their plans, without testing them on the floor of Parliament in minority, for the sake of politics.

“I’m not willing at all to let anything stop us from continuing the job,” Mr Hodgman said.

“The reality is if there is a hung parliament, Labor and the Greens will form a minority government again.

“If we were asked to govern in minority, it would last a heartbeat because Labor and the Greens would vote us out as soon as they were able.

“My view is that majority government is best for the state and we’re best-placed to deliver that.”