Tasmania's racing minister is facing calls to resign over allegations her office provided misleading information about election text messages apparently sent in breach of convention.
It is further headaches for the state's governing Liberals and additional pressure on Jane Howlett, who has also copped heat for spending $300,000 in taxpayer-funded legal fees.
State-owned body TasRacing seemingly breached caretaker conventions by sending a text message spruiking Liberal policy during the 2025 state election campaign.
In March, a statutory declaration from one of Ms Howlett's staffers said he had no knowledge about TasRacing's plan to issue the communications.
However, a parliamentary hearing on Monday was told the staffer had been informed about TasRacing's plan.
Nick Turner, head of a public relations company which helped draft TasRacing's communications, said he sent the proposed text message to the staffer.
It was done as a "line of sight", Mr Turner said.
"He would've seen the entirety of the message ... we would have just said, this is what we're going to say," he said.
The text message spruiked a Liberal election campaign pledge to set up a state-owned insurance company.
Under caretaker conventions, government resources cannot be used to promote the incumbent government.
Labor and the Greens have called for Ms Howlett, who was first elected in 2024, to resign.
Labor MP Ella Haddad said Ms Howlett had misled parliament by saying her office wasn't aware about the TasRacing communications.
"Minister Howlett already had serious questions hanging over her head," Ms Haddad said.
"That's been made even worse. It is clear she must go."
Ms Howlett has also faced calls in recent days to step down as a minister for her "lack of answers" to questions about her use of legal fees.
The government has said more than $303,000 has been spent by Ms Howlett in execution of her official duties but no further details have been provided.
The Liberals lost a minister in late May when Madeleine Ogilvie resigned from cabinet after being accused of misleading parliament about her involvement in a Supreme Court action.
Ms Ogilvie's saga prompted multiple apologies from Premier Jeremy Rockliff and a promise to increase transparency around ministerial spending.
The government has been contacted for comment.
