Premier Peter Gutwein's handling of the coronavirus pandemic will clearly be his lasting legacy, but he also moved issues forward in Tasmania that have been waiting decades for bold leadership.
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His decision to set in motion a treaty and truth-telling process with the Aboriginal community has been 190 years in the making, while few Premiers have pushed harder towards a long-awaited AFL team.
There is also the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into responses to child sexual abuse in the health, education and youth justice systems, and an upcoming attempt to bring in some form of political donation transparency.
READ MORE: Who will be Tasmania's next Premier?
Individually, each of these areas would cement a Premier's legacy and make a lasting difference.
As a moderate Liberal, he was better placed than most to unite the political divide on these issues - from conservative to progressive.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre hoped that the next Premier "committed to those same principles" when it came to the treaty process.
"We're sorry to learn Peter Gutwein is standing down as Premier," the TAC wrote in a statement.
"We haven't always liked the policies he's continued over from the Will Hodgman days - but he's been the best Premier for us since Liberal Premier Ray Groom.
"He has committed this State to a Treaty with Aborigines and to Truth Telling - far more than others have done."
The next Premier will inherit a treaty process that has already seen some divisions emerge, and would require a careful hand to guide it over the coming years.
Commission of Inquiry a challenging but necessary process
The last few months of Mr Gutwein's leadership included intense scrutiny of his government's commitment to the Commission of Inquiry - a commitment he vigorously defended.
Over the coming months, Tasmanians will hear of horrific allegations of child abuse committed in public settings including hospitals, schools and youth justice facilities covering decades and all stripes of government.
Mr Gutwein lauded his own government's "courage" in launching the commission, although the allegations of abuse by former Launceston General Hospital nurse James Geoffrey Griffin effectively forced him to act.
Yet the commitment of some of his most senior ministers - Michael Ferguson, Elise Archer and Roger Jaensch in particular - has been questioned in Parliament in recent months after their apparent groaning at a question from a victim-survivor.
Victim-survivors have been concerned about their conduct, but it will now be up to these ministers and others to lead this process over the coming 18 months.
Hearings are expected to start next month.
Premier leads AFL process
When appointed as the state's new sport minister in February, Nic Street was asked about the AFL bid.
And although he was clearly supportive, the high level talks are being handled by the Premier.
"The top end of that will take care of itself with the Premier and others," Mr Street said.
Mr Gutwein had thrown down the gauntlet on multiple occasions in an attempt to force the AFL's hand, setting firm deadlines, calling out leaders in public and putting a new stadium on the table in a last-ditch attempt.
As a result, the state has never been closer to its own team - even Gil McLachlan admitted during his visit to the North-West last month that the AFL was in an investment position to seriously consider Tasmania.
Deputy premier Jeremy Rockliff is most likely to take the top job if he wants it, but given his considerably calmer demeanour, does he have what it takes to get the AFL - one of Australia's most fickle sporting organisations - over the line? Or has the hard work already been done?
Opportunity to improve political transparency
While Mr Gutwein was broadly popular in the electorate, there were - like with many Tasmanian premiers before him - questions regarding the level of political transparency.
The way in which the poker machine reforms were handled by the government, resulting in a significant tax cut for Federal Group and no guaranteed new harm minimisation methods, frustrated the independents in the Legislative Council.
This year, the government seemed likely to finally implement laws so that Tasmanians would have some idea about who was funding its political parties and potentially using money to influence decision-making.
Yet Mr Gutwein's threshold of $5000 would make the state have the equal weakest levels of transparency, tied with South Australia - and the new SA Premier has already flagged improving their laws.
Labor and the Greens want the threshold set at $1000, while there are also calls to ban donations from developers, gaming, liquor tobacco and firearms entities, or to cap all donations at $3000.
The new Premier will need to progress this issue, given it was promised to have occurred before the last election, and will require negotiation with all parties and independents.
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