A co-located hospital at the Launceston General Hospital and attracting and retaining specialists were two of the key questions asked during the debate.

Labor has largely focused its election campaign on health, while the Liberals have talked about reducing elective surgery waiting times.

Calvary submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Coordinator-General for a co-located private hospital at the LGH in December. Labor then released a policy for a health precinct at the LGH, including a private hospital co-located with the public hospital. However, Labor said it would have an open tender process.

Both Premier Will Hodgman and Opposition Leader Rebecca White reiterated their policies on the co-located hospital during the debate. In relation to attracting and retaining specialists, The Examiner editor Courtney Greisbach said both parties had “pledged to increase the number of nurses, yet we currently have 187 vacancies in the state”.

“As premier, how would you address this ongoing issue with recruitment so it solves the issue for the long term?”

Ms White said Labor would employ an extra 500 staff in first term of government. “We should be directing locum spending to recruiting permanent specialists,” she said.

Mr Hodgman said it was a challenge to rebuild a health system “but it can be done”.

“We are building a health system that was actually cut under Labor and the Greens,” he said.

TasTAFE was at the centre of the debate when questions about the state’s education system were raised. “What would you do to help improve TasTAFE and ensure what is being offered is relevant to our community’s needs and those pathways are being identified to our youth?” the leaders were asked.

Mr Hodgman said, “TasTAFE has had its fair share of challenges”.

“We're setting about fixing that, we are investing more into training ... moving forward we're addressing the issues ... providing more funding to TasTAFE than previously allocated under the former government,” he said.

Mr Hodgman said the Liberals would continue to build infrastructure and invest in educational training facilities across the state.

For Ms White, it was about creating more apprenticeships. “We'd work with industry, unions and government agencies and conduct a skills audit,” she said.

One of the most significant dividing policies between the Liberals and Labor during the election campaign has been around poker machines.

Ms White announced her party would ban pokies from pubs and clubs if elected – something the gaming lobby has campaigned against.

Given the extreme difference in policies, the would-be premiers were asked separate questions on the topic of pokies.

Ms White was asked if the removal of pokies from pubs and clubs would lead to more online gambling, and how Labor would support people who lost their jobs. She said money from pokies did not stay in local communities and that, under Labor, there would be direct support to venues and employees.

“We're putting the welfare of people first,” Ms White said.

Mr Hodgman was asked about the Liberals’ policy to directly licence hotels and clubs beyond 2023. 

The Tasmanian Gaming Commissioners told a parliamentary inquiry last year that the direct licensing was “highly problematic”, due to difficulties with regulating a high number of venues. Greisbach asked how the Liberals would manage that and how the party’s policy would benefit the community.

Mr Hodgman said the Liberals believed in “people’s ability to spend their money where they see fit”.

Ashley Youth Detention Centre will remain open.

Ms White confirmed it would continue to function as is under a Labor government and Mr Hodgman reiterated the Liberals plan to keep the centre open and invest $7.28 million into a major redesign and upgrade of the facility. 

The topic then turned to the proposed Northern prison, which the Liberals have promised to build. When questioned on a location for the facility, Mr Hodgman said it was still being considered, but the prison “would be built”.

“The best place for dangerous criminals to be is in prison,” he said.

Labor has yet to release its justice policy, but has pledged to upgrade the Launceston Remand Centre.

Ms White said her party was focused on health and education.

Both leaders were also questioned about their commitment to putting more police on the beat. Last year, The Examiner launched a campaign to remove police officers from the Supreme Court in Launceston.

Ms White confirmed during the debate Labor was “committed” to removing police from the courts in both Launceston and Burnie.

The Liberals previously promised to remove officers from the Launceston court, with recruitment for correctional officers already underway. 

A project officer was also employed in the North-West to address the issue at the Burnie courthouse.

Both parties have also previously announced their plans for police resourcing, with the Liberal party promising to employ 125 more officers and Labor to employ 31 across the state.

During the debate, both leaders reaffirmed their plans and agreed more police were needed on the beat.

The state’s would-be premiers confirmed their parties would not force council amalgamations in Tasmania.

Despite the state having 29 councils for a population of 515,000, both Mr Hodgman and Ms White said amalgamations were not on their agenda. Responding to a question about the potential for compulsory voting in local government elections, Ms White said it was something Labor would consider.

However, Mr Hodgman said Tasmanians did not need to be forced to vote in “another election” and the Liberals would not make it compulsory.

The potential impact of changes to the state’s GST distribution was raised during the debate.

“Could we expect anything to change if our GST distribution changes after the election? Do you have a back up plan if this distribution changes?” Greisbach asked.

Labor would be able to “fund all of the promises made because they've been much less than the Liberals”, according to Ms White.

Mr Hodgman said despite the state facing a number of unexpected challenges, including natural disasters, the government had “kept spending under control”.

“We won't raise or implement any new taxes and we certainly won't take the state budget back into deficit,” he said.

“We will not allow the state to go back into deficit because we have worked too hard to get into surplus.”

With the impending election and the possibility of either Mr Hodgman or Ms White becoming the state’s next premier, the history of both parties was raised.

“Both of you on January 28, when the election was called, admitted you had made mistakes. What are those mistakes and, thanks to hindsight, what would you do differently?” Greisbach asked.

Ms White stated she was looking to the future “not the past”.

“There's always ways you can learn to do your job better,” she said.

“I realise I don't have all the answers, so I surround myself with people who can help.”

 Mr Hodgman acknowledged “no political party will be perfect”.

“Our focus is very much on Tasmania's future and continuing what we have started,” he said.

The Examiner’s in-depth coverage of the election will continue with a series to be launched this week. Representatives from each party will discuss the state’s key portfolios and issues affecting Northern Tasmanians.