Premier Will Hodgman has hosed down speculation that he will resign the Liberal leadership should the state election produce a hung parliament, saying he is the only political leader “arguing strongly” for majority government.
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On Tuesday, Treasurer Peter Gutwein was questioned on whether he would ever take Mr Hodgman’s place.
Mr Gutwein said this was “a silly hypothetical”.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor called on Mr Hodgman to confirm that he would resign if he did not win a majority at the election, which is expected to fall in March.
In 1996, then Liberal Premier Ray Groom was forced to step aside following the state election, after he was unable to obtain enough seats to constitute a majority in the lower house.
Liberal MHA Tony Rundle filled Mr Groom’s shoes, entering into minority government with the Greens.
But Mr Hodgman said he was “not worried about what’s happened in the past, other than pointing to the fact that in the not too distant past, Labor and the Greens struck a deal”.
“What will happen, and this is exactly what’s happened in the past, Labor and the Greens will strike another deal, or they may even try to involve other minor parties in some sort of deal,” the Premier said.
“That’s the last thing we need.
“I’m the only political leader who’s arguing strongly for majority government.”
Ms O’Connor, meanwhile, said the Premier needed to give Tasmanians “a straight answer”.
“If the Premier has told Tasmanians that he’ll govern in majority or not at all, and there’s no majority delivered to either party, he is honour-bound to the Tasmanian people to resign,” she said.
“He should have the integrity to confirm that.
“We think that the … voters of Tasmania are entitled to expect straight answers … out of people who are putting themselves forward at this election.”
Deputy Opposition Leader Michelle O’Byrne also called on Mr Hodgman to “come clean” about any discussions he may have had about potentially dealing with a hung parliament.
“The people of Tasmania have to make their decision about who they vote for,” she said.
“If they do vote for minor parties, then that does make it a bit more complex in the end.”
Ms O’Byrne added that it would be the government that is obliged to make the first approach to a minor party about forming a government in the event of a hung parliament.
“That will be a matter for Premier Hodgman,” she said.
“Everything else is hypothetical until such time as that conversation, if it’s necessary.”