Peak bodies, actions groups and local government areas will all push to have their views heard, and adhered to.

We have known for some time now that the election will be in March.

The specific date has not yet been nailed down, but speculation is rife that the announcement could come on Sunday.

It will be just another step in what has already been a long and winding election path.

Parties have been in campaign mode for the better part of three months, and it really gained momentum in December.

Every day brought a new announcement, policy or promise. There was not enough room to swing a cat without hitting a politician turning a sod, or presenting a cheque.

Regardless of a calendar entry, Tasmanians are ready to go to the polls, and they’re ready to vote on what matters to them.

The past two political terms have been interesting times.

There was the Labor-Green minority government that eventuated out of the hung parliament of the 2010 election.

This was followed by Hodgman’s Liberals landslide in 2014, bringing an end to 16 years of a Labor government for the state.

What has arisen is a more savvy Tasmanian voter. 

Empty promises and repeated rhetoric will not fly at this election.

Voters can see past a ‘Make Tasmania great again’-style campaign.

In this campaign, the public should and will make the rules. Politicising health and education won’t be tolerated – these are issues that mean too much to Tasmanians.

Already, parties have received backlash for negative adverts. The voters have said no; they want initiatives, not insults.

Tasmania’s unique Hare Clark voting system has always drawn interest from interstate political commentators.

This year, it’s about even more numbers, with both majority parties taking strong and opposing stances on the poker machine debate.

The next four years will be big years for Tasmania, with big issues at hand: housing affordability, the ever-growing tourism boom, and, as always, pushing the economy forward.

The stakes are high, the odds change every day, and as for the result, all bets are off.