Liberals, Greens to rule Tasmania

Unlikely bedfellows the Liberals and the Greens have been coupled in Tasmania by
caretaker premier David Bartlett in his strategic decision to yield power after the
state election.
The make-up of the next Tasmanian assembly will be a 10-10-five split of Liberal,
Labor and the Greens.
Mr Bartlett on Thursday said he'll tell Governor Peter Underwood next Wednesday,
after the polls are declared, that he can't form a stable minority government,
giving Liberal leader Will Hodgman the chance to grab power.
"In all likelihood, it will be a Liberal minority government supported by the
Greens," Mr Bartlett told a news conference on Thursday.
Labor strategists are willing to gamble that this precarious Liberal minority
government won't last long.
A short term in opposition after 12 years in government is the best option for Labor
to regain power in an early return to the polls for Tasmanians, who do not have
fixed four-year terms.
Mr Bartlett said his Liberal and Greens rivals, who now outnumber him, together on
the second last day of the previous parliament in November moved a no-confidence
motion in him.
The motion, defeated by the government's numbers, was moved over Mr Bartlett's
accounts relating to former police commissioner Jack Johnston.
He said Greens leader Nick McKim and Mr Hodgman had not changed their position.
"They conspired and voted together, moved together a no-confidence motion that now
precludes me from giving the governor the advice to commission me as premier," he
said.
"They have already got together to knock me off as premier."
Mr Bartlett's decision is an attempt to push the Liberals and the Greens together
and to make them responsible for providing stable government.
But Mr Hodgman says he'll do no deals with the Greens, while Mr McKim says it won't
be up to his party to support the Liberals.
"If Mr Bartlett abdicates power he will be saying that he supports a Liberal
government, which means that it will be his responsibility to prop up that
government and deliver the stability that Tasmania deserves," Mr McKim said.
Mr McKim said Labor's strategy was clearly now to de-stabilise a Liberal minority
government, which would face tough times because of 12 years of ALP decisions, and
to force Tasmanians back to the polls.
Mr Bartlett on Thursday was making no promises to support Mr Hodgman's government.
Mr Hodgman wants to recall parliament before the end of next month, while Mr
Bartlett says it should be recalled as soon as possible.
The Liberal leader on Thursday said: "I expect to be commissioned as premier of a
new government in the latter part of next week".
"We have a strong policy agenda, a clear plan for the first 100 days of the Liberal
government," he told reporters.
"I'm committed to working positively and constructively with this parliament to
ensure that it delivers the best services we can to Tasmanians."
Mr Hodgman said it was now incumbent on Labor and the Greens to make parliament work
effectively.
Mr Bartlett and his deputy, Lara Giddings, on Thursday were unanimously re-elected
to their leadership positions.