State Labor has become a "city-based party" and must shift its focus away from socially progressive policy in favour of regional development and restoring its economic credentials if it's to win the next election, former Labor premier Paul Lennon says.
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On the eve of the state Labor conference in Burnie this weekend, Mr Lennon appeared on Tasmanian politics podcast, FontCast, hosted by public relations firm Font PR's managing director Becher Townshend and partner Brad Stansfield.
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Mr Townshend was formerly a journalist at The Advocate, while Mr Stansfield was chief-of-staff to Will Hodgman during his time as both Opposition Leader and Premier, from 2010-18.
The former helped mastermind the Love Your Local campaign on behalf of leading Tasmanian hospitality figures in the run-up to the 2018 state election. The primary focus of the campaign was to ensure Labor didn't win power so it couldn't implement its policy to remove poker machines from pubs and clubs.
Mr Lennon, meanwhile, who has been retired from politics since 2008, continues to work as a lobbyist for gaming and hospitality giant Federal Group, a role which pitted him directly against his own party during last year's election campaign.
Mr Lennon told FontCast that "trust in Labor to look after the economy has been sapped out and that's what they need to get back".
"[There] is a lack of trust and faith in the parliament to deliver on behalf of the people [now]," he said. "If you go through the North of Tasmania, it confronts you on a daily basis."
"And that's where Labor needs to begin to win the trust back.
"Go to Smithton, start in the far North-West and work your way east. That's pretty much what we did, starting from 1992."
Labor suffered a stinging defeat at the 1992 state election, following three years governing in minority under premier Michael Field. Mr Lennon was just a junior member of the caucus at the time, having been elected two years previously.
Labor won a majority in 1998, on the back of public disillusionment over the Tony Rundle Liberal minority government.
"We went into the North-West, where our vote was worst, and started the long process of winning back community trust," he said.
"My advice to any Opposition, but particularly the Labor Opposition now, is that's what they must do.
"They will say to you, 'Well, we do go North'; but I say to them, well, what do you do when you go up there?
"If you're just going up there hunting out Labor people, [there's] not much point. You have to hunt out the people that don't vote for you and won't vote for you, find out why and begin to restore that trust."
Mr Lennon said the issue for Labor and Opposition Leader Rebecca White was that they were focusing too much on "things that are of interest to the chattering classes".
If you're just going up [to the North and North-West] hunting out Labor people, [there's] not much point. You have to hunt out the people that don't vote for you and won't vote for you, find out why and begin to restore that trust.
- Paul Lennon, former Labor premier
"Leading the nation in some progressive legislation is all well and good when your economy is strong, which is what I always used to say to my people: '[If] we've got a strong economy, they'll let us do a few things in that regard'," he said.
"Get the economy right first - get your meat and potatoes right and then worry about your dessert, if you like."
On the likely return to parliament of former Clark Labor MHA Madeleine Ogilvie, who is expected to replace the exiting Scott Bacon on a recount, Mr Lennon said if the party didn't welcome the controversial figure back into the fold, it would be "a damning signal to the community that the Labor Party is a disunited bunch".
"And that will hurt at the next election; just like I think it will hurt the Liberals, because they don't seem to be able to manage relationships with [Clark Liberal MHA and Speaker] Sue Hickey."
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In an interview on ABC Radio earlier this month, Mr Lennon said it was "very encouraging for me" that Labor had recently "made it very clear" that it was now turning its focus to jobs and the economy, particularly in regional areas.
He also said Ms White was "absolutely" the right person to take Labor to the next election.
"I think that she will be a strong leader and lead the Labor Party for some considerable time," he said.