Economist Saul Eslake remains concerned that both major parties are promising a lot without explaining how they intend to pay for it all.

He said it was his “impression” that the Liberals were actually promising to spend more than Labor.

“There’s a couple of weeks to go and the parties, as far as I know, will meet the obligation to lodge a fiscal strategy with the Treasury,” Mr Eslake said.

“Hopefully, all will be revealed.

“At the moment, you’d have to say either the parties have got some revenue measures up their sleeves or some spending cuts that have yet to be revealed or that the budget outlook is going to deteriorate.”

Mr Eslake noted that while the Liberals had seemingly committed to spend more on health, Labor “appears to have more on the table for education than the Libs do”.

The economist said he was surprised Labor was not committed to extending some urban high schools to years 11 and 12.

“It’s [Labor’s] constituents and their children who are most hurt by the existing system,” Mr Eslake said.

“Kids in affluent families who go to public high schools are not troubled, are not harmed, by the existence of this … system. 

​“The difficulties created by our unique senior secondary system are much greater for kids from low income households.”

Mr Eslake said he was surprised the Liberals were not seeking a mandate to revisit their policy to reduce the school starting age to three-and-a-half.

“I’m surprised the government hasn’t been willing to … do it in a better way that takes account of the legitimate concerns of childcare operators, which they didn’t do last time,” he said.

The Liberals abandoned the policy in the face of community opposition – they had not gone to the 2014 election seeking a mandate for that particular policy.

Political scientist Kate Crowley said it looked like the election was “the Liberals’ to lose at the moment".

“There haven’t really been any serious missteps on policy [from the Liberals],” she said.

Associate Professor Crowley did, however, criticise the Liberals’ “arrogant railroading”, pointing to a recent decision regarding the prospective Mount Wellington cable car development which appeared to bypass the usual planning protocols.

“They haven’t really put a foot wrong except they have this tendency towards arrogance on transparency, probity and railroading with lack of consultation on issues,” she said.

She said Labor’s “problem” was that it needed to differentiate itself from the government.

“​They’re hoping the pokies will do that. And there’s a bit of uncertainty as to whether that’s the case,” Associate Professor Crowley said.

“They have a very solid renewable energy policy which they put out this week, which does put them ahead of both the Greens and the government in this space.

“But I don’t know if the message is cutting through. … The detail gets lost.”

Associate Professor Crowley said policies released during election campaigns were often reduced to “one-line grabs”.

She said the Greens were not “looking very strong”.

“Obviously that’s because they’ve got less resources and therefore they get less coverage,” she said.

“But they’re getting a bit out-gunned on policy.

“They’re saying that we should pursue light rail – well, they said that in 2010, they then got the Sustainable Transport Minister in Nick McKim and they didn’t pursue light rail.”

Associate Professor Crowley predicted that the campaign would get more negative towards the end.

“I think the major parties will probably zero in on scare campaigns against minority government,” she said.

“That might work to some extent and I suppose they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t think it would get some swinging voters lined up.

“But … people really want answers on policies.”

Former political journalist Barry Prismall agreed with Associate Professor Crowley that the election was “Will Hodgman’s to lose”.

Mr Prismall said the controversy around Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s affair with his staffer could have an effect on the state Liberals’ performance at the polls on March 3.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was in Tasmania last week, just as division between himself and Mr Joyce was intensifying.

“The new unknown is the soap opera unfolding in Canberra,” Mr Prismall said.

“The Coalition circus neutralised any positives from the PM’s visit to Tasmania.

“Will Hodgman should have told him to stay home.”

Mr Prismall said Labor was “miscalculating with a surprisingly low-key campaign”.

“A low-key strategy is usually the campaign style of an incumbent, so why is Rebecca White falling into line with the same approach?” he said.

“She needs to shake things up, before Will Hodgman gets home via voter boredom.”

Mr Prismall said the Jacqui Lambie Network would provide conservative Tasmanians and “battlers” with an opportunity for a protest vote without having to vote Green.

“The JLN factor would have impacted anyway, but the federal Coalition circus just magnified this option,” he said.

“The Libs are still with a chance to slip back in with 13 seats, but who needs friends when you’ve got Mal and Barnaby?”