Tasmanian premier booted from top job as no-confidence vote narrowly succeeds

The vote was tied at 17 votes each this afternoon before Labor Speaker Michelle O’Byrne used her deciding vote to get the no-confidence motion over the line.

The motion was tabled by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, who argued rising Tasmanian debt and the looming privatisation of state assets made Rockliff’s position untenable.

“This is a very sad day for Tasmania,” Rockliff, who had earlier promised to request an election, said after the vote passed with the support of the Greens and three independents.

“This will be an election that Tasmanians don’t want, and Tasmania cannot afford.”

The dissolution of parliament puts the future of Tasmania’s AFL team in limbo.

Outside parliament earlier today, Rockliff was defiant, calling opposition leader Dean Winter’s motion “divisive and destructive”.

“This has been a selfish grab for power,” he said.

Rockliff said the government had “built a better Tasmania”.

“I cannot let Mr Winter’s selfish grab for power destroy what we have built over the course of the last decade,” he said.

“The only job Mr Winter is interested in is mine. And I am not going anywhere.”

Winter tabled the motion on Tuesday before moving it yesterday morning.

He claimed it was driven by Rockliff’s management, bungles around the Spirit of Tasmania vessels, and controversy over potential privatisation.

Rockliff is now expected to visit Lieutenant Governor Chris Shanahan – who is filling Governor Barbara Baker’s shoes while she is on leave – to ask for an election to be called.

Caught up in the issue is Tasmania’s potential admission to the AFL.

The footballing body is adamant that the addition of the Tasmania Devils to the competition is contingent on a new stadium in Hobart, the cost of which has ballooned out to almost $1 billion.

Rockliff has been a staunch supporter of Tasmania’s AFL bid, but the Greens have pointed to the growing stadium costs as a prime example of budget mismanagement.