Tasmania passes vote of no confidence in premier Jeremy Rockliff
Adam Morton
The Tasmanian parliament’s lower house has passed a vote of no confidence in the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff.
The motion – moved by the opposition leader, Dean Winter – was supported by Labor, the Greens and three other crossbenchers. The speaker, Labor’s Michelle O’Byrne, gave a casting vote to pass the motion 18-17.
Rockliff has retained the support of the Liberal party. He said earlier he planned to ask the acting governor, Christopher Shanahan, to call a fresh election just 15 months after the state last went to the polls.
Key events
Christopher Knaus
The nation’s attorneys-general are considering whether reforms are needed following a high court decision limiting the liability of churches and other institutions for child abuse.
The high court ruled last year that the Catholic church couldn’t be held vicariously liable for abuse committed by a parish priest because the priest wasn’t a formal employee of the church.
The ruling had broad consequences in limiting institutions from being held vicariously liable for abuse committed by individuals who are associated with them but are not considered formal employees, like parish priests and volunteers.
The ruling has prompted multiple crossbench attempts for reform, including in Victoria and New South Wales, attempting to extend the concept of vicarious liability to “persons akin to employees”.
A bill by Jeremy Buckingham, the upper house NSW crossbencher, was voted down on Wednesday night. In voting down the bill, NSW finance minister Courtney Houssos revealed the issue was being considered by the standing council of attorneys-general, a body comprising federal and state attorneys-general. She said:
The Standing Council of Attorneys-General is the most appropriate forum for consideration of the impacts of this decision, and the New South Wales Government believes we should not progress reforms ahead of this process.
It is important that all jurisdictions are given the opportunity to consider potential reform options as any changes in this space would benefit from a uniform national approach, if possible, to ensure that victim-survivors across Australia have equal opportunities to seek justice.
Any reforms progressed in this sensitive area of law must also be developed in close consultation with key legal stakeholders and victim-survivors to ensure that there are no unintended consequences.
Conversation turns to Cox’s defection to the Labor party, which followed Thorpe leaving the Greens to become an independent prior to the last federal election.
Asked if the Greens have a “problem with Indigenous women”, Thorpe says they left the party for “very different reasons”, particularly the referendum and her stance on the Voice to Parliament.
The Greens still have … a staunch and active group of blackfellas from around the country so as long as they have the Blak Greens I think they just need to listen to them and they will be able to get it right eventually.
It is disappointing to see Senator Cox go to the Labor party to become a backbencher that obviously will not have a voice and no say in policy development.
Thorpe confirms she made a complaint with the parliamentary workplace support scheme in relation to Cox because the PM “told the people of this country that there was no ongoing issues with bullying and he was wrong”.
He should have done his homework before he opened his mouth because there is still an ongoing issue with bullying in the workplace and there is a lot of work to do and Labor need to take that seriously.
You cannot force people to mediate so I am always open to a conversation and conciliation so until that happens, it is still open.
Asked if Cox should resign, Thorpe says that’s for her to decide, “not for me”.
Cox’s office was approached for comment on Thorpe’s allegations but referred Guardian Australia to the prime minister’s media team, which did not respond to questions.
Cox has been the subject of a number of workplace behaviour complaints, as first reported by the Nine newspapers last October. At the time, the WA senator apologised for “the distress this may have caused” but said there had been “significant missing context” in the reports of bullying allegations within her office.
‘It just has to stop’: Thorpe calls for action on Aboriginal deaths in custody after death of Warlpiri man
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe is appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing after revelations she made a bullying complaint about the former Greens senator Dorinda Cox which remains unresolved.
First, she is asked about the death of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White in police custody in Alice Springs last week.
Thorpe says the federal government needs to “take very seriously” what community members have been calling for, which is an independent investigation into his death, rather than “cops investigating cops”.
It is very clear that we have had so many deaths in custody, almost 600 deaths in custody, and nobody ever is held accountable for any of those deaths. We need to enact those royal commission recommendations from 1991 which clearly states that we need independence and accountability of these killings … it is another member of the Yuendumu community who has lost their life at the hands of the police.
Thorpe adds that state, territory and federal governments have worked together on issues such as vaping, kids on social media and the pandemic.
Why can’t we call the state and territories together on stopping Aboriginal deaths in custody? It just cannot continue. Our families and communities are reeling in the trauma every time we lose somebody in our communities. It just has to stop.
Natasha May
Collins has also provided more practical details about the state of transport arrangements in central Sydney in the interim:
There is no [light rail] service, obviously, between Circular Quay and Moore Park. We are working now pretty hard to reinstate the service between Central Station and Circular Quay.
We have a few buses travelling on the L2 and L3 route to just make sure that we can hoover up, particularly those schoolchildren and others who are trying to get home.
Natasha May
Police found the man in his 40s trapped under the carriage. They performed an operation where they lifted the carriage up to “extricate” the male on to the platform, Lessing said.
Emergency services then provided medical care, but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead, he said.
Howard Collins, the coordinator general for Transport for NSW, said the rail regulator would work with the operator to review the incident.
They will establish that and work with the operator as to whether there are any recommendations, or is this a case of really unfortunate misadventure, but we are very clear that we can’t comment on that, and the operator can’t comment, as we work with a regulator who’s still on site.
Natasha May
Man dies after being hit by Sydney tram while crossing between two carriages
Turning to New South Wales, police say the man who died after being hit by a light rail carriage in Sydney this afternoon was attempting to cross over the light rail between two carriages.
Insp Anderson Lessing, from the Surry Hills police area command, has just spoken at a press conference providing details of the incident:
Initial inquiries show the male was attempting to cross over the light rail between two carriages. At that time, the light rail commenced this journey, trapping the male underneath the light rail.
Lessing said the initial CCTV review showed the man had been waiting on the platform and then stepped off to try to cross the tram line.
His next of kin had not yet been notified, and he had not been identified formally at this stage, Lessing said.
Meanwhile, Tasmania’s opposition leader, Dean Winter, told the media he couldn’t “stand by” while the state’s budget deteriorated.
Tasmanian Labor needs to stand up. Stand up for Tasmanians who want good healthcare and an education system that supports the young people of Tasmania. Who want a government focused on supporting them.
I want to bridge the gap between Tasmania and the mainland. I want to make sure that this is a state that has the best education facilities possible. I want this to be a state where you can get the healthcare you need anywhere you live. That is not what we have.
The governor of Tasmania is currently overseas, so Rockliff will be driving to Government House to meet with the lieutenant governor.
If there is another election, it will be the state’s fourth in just seven years.
Rockliff confirms he will advise the governor of the vote in the house and the context of it. If the opposition cannot form a majority, Tasmania will head to a snap early election.
He also issues a clear warning to the leader of the opposition:
You might get rid of me, mate. But I’ll tell you what. They’re coming for you as well. Because you will always be known as a wrecker.
I saw the honourable member’s statement today where he would not do a deal with the Greens. Well, what’s this all about? You refuse to do a deal and take the treasury benches when you probably could have … but we had the courage with just 14 members of a 35-seat of the house of assembly to give it a crack.
If an election does take place, he says it will be one “Tasmanians don’t want, and Tasmania cannot afford”.
This has been a selfish grab for power, which we will fight and we will do our darndest to win.
Rockliff then takes aim at Labor, accusing the opposition leader of “recklessness”.
What I find most disappointing is the personalisation of the vote, if you like. And I’ll be damned if the Labor party is going to choose the leader of the Liberal party that I love.
At the end of the day, this was just a grievance debate, which we could have had any other day.
He also turns to the AFL, and debate over the new Tasmanian team and controversial stadium in Hobart.
The large majority of this discussion, particularly from the Greens side of the parliament, talked about the stadium and the AFL and AFL team. And I’ve been advised by all the hardheads in my party not to go down that track. Why? Because it’s bad for votes. Well, I’ve always said stuff votes. I said it when I moved for the 35-house seat of parliament, and I’ll say it for the stadium for as long as I damn well live. Because I believe in it. And I have a right to believe in it.
Rockliff says he is “so disappointed, if not brokenhearted”, by the decision. He says it “wasn’t easy” to work in minority but he knew it was the “right thing to do”, and still does.
What we have in this parliament … is an eclectic mix of people from all backgrounds, which is how parliament should be … I wanted it to work. I believed in it, and I actually still do.
I still do, because of the results that we’ve had over the course of the last 14 months, where everyone in the parliament has got something through that they feel passionate about and believed in.
Rockliff acknowledges it hasn’t been a “100% Liberal minority government success”, but its agenda has been furthered because of “negotiations between each other”.
And this hasn’t been 100% Liberal minority government success. We’ve got most of our agenda through simply because of our negotiations between each other. And that’s why I’m so disappointed. If not brokenhearted, frankly … not everything’s gone to plan, name a parliament in the state of Australia where everything goes to plan. And it’s been difficult.
Taking you to the Tasmanian parliament now, the premier has the call.
He acknowledges and respects the vote of the house, while calling it a “sad day”.
I have respected every single vote that has taken place in this house in my 23 years. And I thank you, Speaker, for your very eloquent reasoning. And our friendship. That goes back to the early 1990s.
There is an interjection of: “We might not want to point out what pub that was in, premier.”
I was Liberal and I always respected your Labor values and that of your family, which will always be Labor values. And you respected mine and we’ve been foes in this place, but always friends outside of it. In my personal opinion, this is a very sad day for Tasmania.
And I want to thank honourable members for their contributions and within those contributions, even those that have voted for this motion, I thank you for at least acknowledging some of my contributions in this place. It’s a sad day as well, because I put a lot on the line for this parliament.
Tasmania passes vote of no confidence in premier Jeremy Rockliff
Adam Morton
The Tasmanian parliament’s lower house has passed a vote of no confidence in the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff.
The motion – moved by the opposition leader, Dean Winter – was supported by Labor, the Greens and three other crossbenchers. The speaker, Labor’s Michelle O’Byrne, gave a casting vote to pass the motion 18-17.
Rockliff has retained the support of the Liberal party. He said earlier he planned to ask the acting governor, Christopher Shanahan, to call a fresh election just 15 months after the state last went to the polls.
Australia Post to arm posties with citronella spray to ward off dog attacks
Man’s best friend has a common enemy but their employer has a new plan to help cut down on the scores of attacks every week.
Australia Post will arm posties with citronella spray to ward off dog attacks after more than 1,150 dog-related incidents since November.
The water-based citronella spray has been introduced as a defence measure to protect posties, after repeated appeals for dog owners to secure them during deliveries failed to quell attacks.
The spray temporarily distracts the dogs and allows posties to move to safety.
“Dog-related hazards” – about 35,000 of them – are also flagged in the devices carried by posties.
Queensland led the nation in recent post-related dog incidents, with 388, slightly more than the 329 that took place in NSW, according to Australia Post data.
Australian Associated Press
Josh Butler
Climate group chief predicts more Coalition seats will fall after Boele victory
Climate 200’s executive director has praised the independent candidate Nicolette Boele for prevailing in Bradfield, and said the fundraising vehicle had already “started thinking about 2028” and the next federal election.
Byron Fay, in an email to supporters this afternoon, said the Coalition couldn’t form government without the seats won by teal independents, and predicted more seats would keep falling.
Fay called Boele’s close win – a margin of 26 votes – a “hard-won victory”, which he said proved “every single volunteer, every cent, and every conversation matters for independent campaigns”. Fay wrote:
[Boele is] a bona fide expert on decarbonisation and energy transition and she’s going to be a brilliant addition to the crossbench. I’m so excited to see what she brings to the conversation.
It’s easy to think of a seat like Bradfield as just a number in parliament, but it’s so much bigger than that. It’s clear now that the seats won by independents are an ideological firewall. The Liberal Party cannot form government without them, and if they continue to tear themselves apart over net zero and climate policy in general, they will continue to lose seats like Bradfield to extraordinary community independents like Nic.
Fay told supporters to “savour the win”, adding that Boele had put in a lot of work over the whole period since she came up short in Bradfield in 2022.
“We’ve started thinking about 2028 and our first strategy briefings are kicking off next week,” Fay wrote, inviting supporters to get involved.
Cait Kelly
Study finds family violence program focused on perpetrators effectively reducing rates of abuse
A perpetrator-focused family violence program being run out of Melbourne is effectively reducing the rates of abuse, an RMIT study has found.
The Alexis Family Violence Response Model is an integrated program with Victoria police and the Salvation Army targeted at hard-to-reach victim-survivors and perpetrators through a coordinated police and social services response.
A report on the program has found 78% of victim-survivor participants saw a reduction in family violence in their lives. Further to this, there was an 80% drop of perpetrators considered “serious risk” after the program’s intervention.
The CEO of No to Violence, Phil Ripper, says:
We need the Government to take men’s violence seriously and put domestic, family and sexual violence at the centre of their leadership.
We all want to live in safe and happy families and communities. Violence and abuse are preventable. We need the government to commit to radically reshaping responses to stop family violence at its source and address this national emergency.
