Tasmanian state election day is here!
Approximately 25% of voters have opted to vote early, which sets a new record, and aligns with the pattern in other recent state and federal elections. I believe it's a clear sign of a healthy Democracy for people to have options for when and where they vote.
Pre-polling suggests Tasmania is going to elect another hung parliament. I find the narrow polling surprising because, by all accounts, Jeremy Rockliff has been a divisive Premier and his personal style has been an absolute shitshow. Since 2014, Tasmania has had three useless right-wing men as Premiers, so I'm sympathetic of people saying "It's time".
In Australia, this lack of polarisation is often interpreted as a sign that both major political parties have not worked hard enough to earn the trust of voters. In many parts of Europe, however, the lack of an absolute majority is considered normal. It forces parties to negotiate, find common ground, and work by consensus. I'd go as far as saying this style of government is better equipped for the needs of diverse of citizens, and making decisions based on issues rather than the usual party-line dogma.
With that in mind, the tendency in recent years in Australia has been to lean more toward a hung parliament with the balance of power held by the crossbench. My hope is that this leads to effective representation of the citizens, particularly by the Greens and moderate, progressive independents.
Let's see what the currently ruling and ironically-named Tasmanian Liberals say about sharing the balance of power with Greens and Independents. Here's a press release from Felix Ellis, the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Minister for Housing, Planning and Consumer Affairs, Minister for Skills and Training, Member for Braddon.
Source: https://tas.liberal.org.au/news/2025/07/16/single-issue-independents-are-greens-worse
#AusPol #TasPol #TasVotes #TasVotes25 #DeanWinter #JeremyRockliff