These standards have come back to bite him this year, but Mr Hodgman is sticking to them and moving on with his plans.

In a year where winning a second term in government was a 2018 highlight, some of the lowlights centred around his parliamentary team.

Heading into this second term in parliament with a one-seat majority of 13, the Tasmanian Liberals quickly realised they could relinquish that majority when former Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey was elected as Speaker, and said she would “vote independently on legislation should she be compelled to use her casting vote”.

Despite this development, Mr Hodgman stills considers the government a majority.

“We’ve got 13 seats, which by my counting is a clear majority, and it’s a fact we were re-elected as a majority government,” he said.

However, he admits this government is in “a different political environment, and that comes with a new parliament, but it’s our job to make it work and provide stability and certainty and that’s what we’re doing”.

“I’ve got a very clear plan for the state – we’ve got election commitments we’re expected to deliver. It’s our job to just get on with doing that and find a way to make it work,” Mr Hodgman said.

But Ms Hickey was not the only thorn in Mr Hodgman’s side this year.

Sarah Courtney stepped down as Primary Industries Minister after starting a personal relationship with Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment secretary Dr John Whittington, and Braddon MHA Adam Brooks was found to have breached protocols and misled Mr Hodgman by the Integrity Commission.

“We set high standards and no government is perfect,” he said.

Instead, Mr Hodgman prefers to focus on the state’s booming economy and his plans for the next three years – and beyond.

“This year has shown Tasmania can have the best performing economy in the country, so there’s no reason why we can’t be the best at all that we do.”

The state’s strong economy is something Mr Hodgman speaks of with pride, explaining it has supported 15,000 new jobs, built business confidence, attracted more tourists and expanded our export market.

“Having a strong economy is great for building a resilient, more confident, more prosperous Tasmania.”

That confidence is something Mr Hodgman hopes will continue if the federal government changes next year.

“I worry that [a change] might have a negative impact on the state and the progress that we’ve made. My commitment, though, is to stand up for Tasmania, put our state first and work with whatever government there is at a national level to do that,” he said.

Mr Hodgman addressed some key points of debate, namely Midland Highway roadworks, building heights, public sector industrial action and the cannabis Controlled Access Scheme.

On the Midland Highway, he said the $500-million 10-year project was an “an extensive piece of work” that employed Tasmanians and would improve road safety and efficiency.

“They are quite significant in scale and, hence, disruptions are occurring on the Midland Highway, which we regret, but will be for the long-term benefit of the state,” he said.

“It’s a massive infrastructure project which is rolling out well. I expect that that will be done as quickly as possible.”

Building heights have been a hot topic at both ends of the state, with increased development opportunities forcing councils look carefully at city skylines.

Mr Hodgman was pleased City of Hobart council deferred its decision on building heights and advised that “politicians – whether they be state, local or federal – should always look to expert advice on matters like this”.

“To arbitrarily cap building heights will force developers to consider what they might do within that threshold and you could end up with a very homogeneous landscape,” he said.

Public sector negotiations have presented another protracted debate for the state government, which are expected to continue into 2019.

Mr Hodgman said the action was about more a pay increase, but that the government planned to employ extra public service staff and improve working conditions.

“We want to continue to negotiate with the public sector unions and we want them to engage with their members so they can clearly understand their members’ views,” he said.

“It’s not just a pay increase – there are other improvements to workplace conditions, whether it be parental leave, superannuation entitlements, flexible workplace arrangements. These are all important parts of the negotiations, and all of them come at a cost to the government – to our state – so that needs to be factored into the equation as well.”

In the year since the Controlled Access Scheme to cannabis medicine has rolled out, Mr Hodgman said it had made “significant progress” and the government would look at whether to follow Western Australia’s lead and establish a cannabis medicine clinic.

“We’re the only state that provides direct funding to a scheme such as this. It’s one that is administered by clinical professionals who can best make judgements about each case and, albeit an often unproven medical treatment, I’m advised that there have been successful applications and my hope is that it’s having a benefit to patients,” he said.

A keen cook, guitar player, and family man, Mr Hodgman is looking forward to ending 2018 with a short break before jumping into Tasmania’s summer activities.

“I will have a short break with my family and visit my in-laws, who love to see their fast-growing grand kids. I’ll be back out and about over the summer period because there’s so much happening in Tassie. It sets you up for a new year,” he said.

“My two most important things in life are my job and my family, so I need to work on making sure that I balance them both out. They’re interdependent and I think if I do one well it helps me do the other one better.”

Looking forward a year, Mr Hodgman said 2019 would be a success for him if Tasmania’s strong economy continued to grow, allowing investment in essential services, such as health, education and public safety.

“An inclusive growth strategy is a priority for me, and the government ... and that is all about making sure that all Tasmanians, wherever they live, are feeling the benefit of a strong economy.”

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