Just over a year since its last state election, Tasmania is about to return to the polls, as the beautiful but troubled island state sinks further into debt and dysfunction.
After warnings to voters from Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff in 2024 not to elect a Labor minority government, which he predicted would be a ‘coalition of chaos’, a no-confidence motion into Rockliff’s own unstable government has led to the instability and expense of yet another election, with no assurance of useful reform if either major party gains control, and a high likelihood of more political chaos no matter who wins.
Both Labor and Liberal want a new AFL stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart (though they have different ideas about how to build this white elephant), each leader says he has the magic solution to the housing crisis, and both claim to have policies for improving public health outcomes, a perennial problem in Tasmania.
Meanwhile other major issues confronting the state are largely being ignored.
Gambling with Tassie’s future
Poker machines, for example, are clustered in Tasmania’s most disadvantaged areas, and despite their tiny population, Tasmanians lose over $500,000 every day to these machines of destruction.
Research from the Alliance for Gambling Reform shows most of this money comes from people with a gambling problem, with seven other individuals being seriously affected by every problem gambler.
Labor tried to do something about this situation a couple of elections ago, but were badly burned by bullying attacks from the gambling lobby, and have since retreated.
Even minor reforms now appear to be off the table. For example, Labor and Liberal both previously committed to a mandatory, pre-commitment, cashless card, but Rev. Tim Costello says representatives of the major parties now appear to have abandoned this policy.
Recovering Tasmanian gambler Mark Kempster says: ‘It’s time our governments and major parties listened to people like me who have lived through the damage gambling addiction does, not the pokies barons in this state who only care about their bottom line.’
On environmental issues it’s the same story. Despite a disastrous, extinction-accelerating outlook in the 2024 State of the Environment Report (largely ignored by the government which commissioned it), for the Liberals and their allies Tasmania’s unique environment appears to have value only as a ‘brand’, while Labor are focused on streamlining approvals of nature-destroying industries.
Neither party appears to realise that Tasmania’s point of difference from the rest of the world almost entirely consists of its natural heritage values.
Race to the bottom
Having surveyed all candidates in the leadup to the latest state election, the Bob Brown Foundation says both Labor and Liberal score ‘zero’ on the environment and climate.
‘Both parties are grossly negligent in terms of environmental protections and climate action,’ said Jenny Weber, Campaigns Manager with Bob Brown Foundation, at a rally in Hobart/Nipaluna yesterday.
‘We are at a critical time in history, but Labor and Liberal election promises don’t address the climate and biodiversity crises. Instead, they endorse the ongoing destruction of nature, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and the ongoing pollution of this island’s precious environment.’
Ms Weber said ALP leader Dean Winter wants to weaken Tasmania’s already weak national environment law, while Premier Rockliff claims it’s his Liberal policy that Labor is stealing.
‘Just last week, globally-leading scientists sent out another warning; multiple climate tipping points pose catastrophic risks to billions of people, and policymakers must take immediate and unprecedented action. We know what needs to be done to address the climate and biodiversity crises,’ she said.
‘Tasmania can play a leading role by banning logging and burning of native forests, protecting the island’s native forests, protecting Takayna/Tarkine with Australia’s largest temperate rainforest and restoring the ecosystems that provide critical life support systems.’
Corporations or people?
The saintly Bob Brown put the situation even more starkly, ‘Saturday is a referendum between who is running Tasmania, the corporations or the people. That is, between Labor and Liberals vs the people’s voice in the Greens and independents.
‘That applies whether you want to protect Tasmania from debt, forest destruction, pollution of waterways or run down of public services.’
Tragically, while the major parties and most in the media obsess about petty point scoring and football circuses, the physical and mental health of Tasmanians and the biodiversity of their island continues to slide, to the detriment of all who cherish this extraordinary place.
The Tasmanian state election will be held on Saturday 19 July.
Originally from Canberra, David Lowe is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and photographer with particular interests in the environment and politics. He’s known for his campaigning work with Cloudcatcher Media.
You can find more of his writing at Patreon and Gumroad.
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