Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White has resigned and influential Jacqui Lambie is questioning why the ALP conceded Saturday’s election so quickly when it could have cobbled together a minority government.
Announcing her resignation on Tuesday afternoon, Mrs White said she takes “responsibility” for the Labor Party’s performance in last weekend’s election, where it has so far won 10 seats in Parliament.
Ms White said she would provide “support to my colleagues and whoever the next leader is and will work alongside them to make sure we can deliver the change I know Tasmania deserves”.
But the Liberal Party has also fallen short of a majority, prompting Lambie, a federal senator whose party won three seats, to tweet: “I’ve been thinking about this all day – and it has me stumped – why the hell @TasLabor grant so quickly?
‘Why wouldn’t they wait for the final result, honoring their voters and their party workers? It’s like they don’t even want to govern!’
Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White has resigned after leading her party to three consecutive election defeats and after Jacqui Lambie (pictured) questioned whether Labor even wants to govern the state.
The Liberals, under the leadership of Jeremy Rockliff, appear on track to win 15 seats, short of the 18 needed to govern in their own right.
Rockliff, the country’s only Liberal premier, has reached out to both Lambie’s party and two independents.
The Labor Party, which has won 10 seats, admitted on Sunday that it would not be able to form a government.
However, that sparked outrage from supporters who felt Labor should have tried to build a minority government with crossbench MPs and the support of four elected Greens.
‘Crazy stuff… By crazy I mean the count is still going on!!!’ tweeted Greg Jericho, an economist at the left-leaning Australia Institute.
‘Labour should keep fighting to be in government!!!’
The Greens have claimed that Labor has “given away” the government to the Coalition.
Adding to the intrigue, ALP staffer Bronwyn Clark told The Australian’s Jenna Clarke that Labor agents had “eliminated” Ms White behind the scenes.
‘(She) is not a coward or a coward. “She would have been there and she would have done everything if she hadn’t been treated so badly and taken backstage,” Mrs Clarke said.
Lambie said his selected candidates, who will be known once a fresh count is carried out, would meet Rockliff over Easter. He said his party would not seek ministerial positions and would push for issues such as government transparency, health, housing and education.
“What we want is stability in Tasmania,” he told ABC Radio on Monday.
“And if we don’t achieve that stability, we will probably end up in elections again in three months.” “I don’t want Tasmania to do that.”
He said that his party members want to see a government with offer and confidence.
“(But) that won’t give them a guarantee that we will vote on every piece of legislation with them,” he said, adding that such an agreement would be a good thing because it “keeps them on their toes.”
The senator has been highly critical of the Liberals, particularly their plans for a new $715 million Hobart Stadium attached to the state contract for an AFL team.
But one of his party’s candidates who could win a seat supports the stadium.
The project must be voted on in the state parliament to obtain the green light.
Liberal deputy leader Michael Ferguson said he was hopeful of delivering on the party’s election promises and pledged to work constructively.
White (pictured) said he takes “responsibility” for the Labor Party’s poor performance in Saturday’s election, where it failed to form a government.
“New members of the Jacqui Lambie Network say they want to see stability,” he told reporters.
“They certainly have other things they want to bring to the discussions.”
Rockliff admitted on Sunday that the Liberals had taken a “bit of a hit” on the stadium and other issues, and that his first preference vote fell by 12 per cent.
He also reached out to left-wing independent Kristie Johnston and independent David O’Byrne, who was a Labor member for decades and former leader.
Tasmania went to the polls more than a year ahead of schedule after the Liberals failed to resolve a standoff between a minority government and two former independent independent parties.
O’Byrne said a new government would have to be conscious of how it negotiates.
“If you want to have a… forward approach in this parliament, I can guarantee you that you will fail,” he told reporters.
Four seats remain in doubt, and the state election commission expects the recount to continue through April 6 with a final declaration on April 10.
It was White’s third attempt to become prime minister, with her party taking 29 percent of the vote.