- In short: Liberal-turned-independent MP Lara Alexander says her decision to leave the government has been vindicated by the thousands of Tasmanians who turned out to oppose a new AFL stadium for Hobart.
- What's next? State parliament returns on May 23, where the now minority government's support will be tested on the floor of the house.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff "only has himself to blame" for the political turmoil that is engulfing his now-minority government, Liberal-turned-independent MP Lara Alexander says.
Ms Alexander announced, along with fellow backbench MP John Tucker, on Friday that she was leaving the Liberal Party to sit on the crossbench in Tasmania's parliament.
She said the estimated 6,000-strong crowd at a rally opposing plans for a new $715 million stadium in Hobart had "vindicated her decision".
"The proposed shady deal to build a stadium in Hobart has sharply divided the community," Ms Alexander said on Sunday.
"It is not often that I agree with Tasmanian Labor and the Greens, but if we are going to spend upwards of one billion dollars of taxpayer's money, it should be allocated to essential services such as health and priorities like housing."
Ms Alexander and Mr Tucker both cited a "lack of transparency" about the stadium deal as one of the main reasons they were quitting the Liberals.
"If the AFL stadium deal has caused political turmoil, the Premier has no one to blame but himself," Ms Alexander said on Sunday.
"He has refused to share details of the contracts he signed with the AFL with his parliamentary colleagues, the parliament, and the community. There is zero transparency or accountability in his decision-making process.
"As a result, the Premier must understand that the government's actions have consequences."
Labor's Dean Winter said there was "white hot anger" in the community about the stadium.
"It's not anger that's from just the usual anti-development suspects; this is anger from people who are just concerned about having a government with the right priorities," Mr Winter said.
Deputy Premier and Treasurer Michael Ferguson said the government would "continue to listen respectfully to those different points of view".
"The government really does respect that not everybody has the same opinion on these projects and we'll continue to work through the process as is proper," Mr Ferguson said.
"But we're determined to get on with it, on the basis that we have significant federal funding which really respected, and I think demonstrated, that the business case was persuasive for Anthony Albanese our Prime Minister," he said.
State parliament returns on May 23, and Mr Ferguson will hand down the state budget on May 25.
Ms Alexander said she would "probably not" support funding in the budget for the stadium — despite commitments she made on Friday to guarantee supply and not to instigate a motion of no confidence in the government.
Ms Alexander also said on Friday she would "probably not" support a motion of no confidence.
"We need to understand the details of what's been put in the budget under the banner of stadium," she said on Sunday.
Mr Tucker said he would guarantee supply, and would not support or instigate a motion of no confidence in the government.
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O'Connor has vowed to move a motion in the parliament expressing opposition to the stadium, and to amend the budget to remove stadium funding.
Labor accuses Greens of 'stunts'
Labor, however, has ruled out siding with the Greens.
"The Greens will be reckless, that's what they always are and they always will be," Mr Winter said.
"Labor won't support Greens stunts, Labor will be using our numbers to try and extract answers from this government — about the stadium, about power prices about the health system that's failing and now being held together with sticky tape."
Ms O'Connor rejected Labor's characterisation.
"Moving to allow Parliament to express the will of the people on the stadium is not a stunt. Nor is seeking to amend the budget to remove stadium funding," Ms O'Connor said.
"Parliament needs to work together now. We have to demonstrate maturity and a willingness to negotiate.
"State Labor should know it's the stadium that's reckless here, not us."
Budget unlike ordinary legislation
The state budget, however, is not like ordinary legislation that is debated in the parliament.
Unlike in the United States where various parts of the budget are debated separately, in Australia, budgets are presented as a whole to the parliament, after the government receives authorisation from the governor or governor-general.
Political scientist Richard Herr said while opposition MPs often try to lobby governments to include or exclude various items before a budget is presented to the parliament, trying to make changes afterwards was "atypical".
"It's not impossible to imagine a government possibly willing to amend its own budget, but I don't think it can be done against the government's will without actually forcing the government to consider it a no-confidence motion."
Dr Herr said not even Tasmania's Legislative Council had the power to amend the state budget.
"The one thing to remember about the budget is it is the core of the parliament's responsibility to the Crown, as well as the grounds on which the government is responsible to the parliament," he said.
Ms O'Connor has also flagged bringing a motion to the parliament. This could be separate from an attempt to amend the budget. It could also, if brought before parliament before budget day, include a call for the government to exclude any stadium funding from the budget.
Dr Herr said if such a motion had enough support, it would be a motion "by the parliament to the government, and it's a request that the government change its mind".
'A huge weight has been lifted'
Ms O'Connor said the Greens had already been in contact with Ms Alexander and Mr Tucker since they announced their respective resignations and looked forward to working with them.
While some Labor MPs have been in touch with the two former Liberals, the party has not made a formal approach, but Mr Winter also said Labor would "look forward to working with them".
Ms Alexander said she had spoken with Mr Rockliff and Mr Ferguson on Friday afternoon, "and we just resolved that we will keep talking and have a dialogue as the dust settles".
Ms Alexander said she felt "very much at peace" about her decision to move to the crossbench.
"I slept very soundly on Friday night. A big, huge weight has been lifted," she said.
