Newcomers set high ambition

TASMANIA’S newest political party has aspirations of taking not only a couple of seats in the next state parliament but of making a splash in federal parliament as well.

Tasmanians 4 Tasmania is running four candidates in Saturday’s state election with policies including a Bridgewater weir, monster-cat vessels servicing Sydney and Brisbane and duty-free status for the state.

Party founder Rob Newitt has been working on the idea of a state-based party to represent Tasmania’s interests for 20 years. The party’s registration was approved on January 23.

“We are a Tasmanian-only party for Tasmanians,” Mr Newitt said. “We won’t be categorised in any box as being Liberal, Labor or Green. We are Tasmanians for Tasmania.”

He said the party was in favour of preserving the environment, jobs and family values.

“We’d like to get at least two members into Parliament so we had a commonsense voice in parliament,” he said.

“Realistically, we’ve always said we don’t expect anyone to get elected, we haven’t had much exposure in the media and we don’t have much money in the coffers.”

Mr Newitt said if Tasmanians banded together their political power would be a force to be reckoned with.

“When you think about it and do the maths it is the smart way to go,” he said. “The two-party system has divided Tasmanians.”

The party had federal aspirations, with a target of obtaining the balance of power in the Lower House and Senate.

“I’d like to issue a challenge to every senator in Tasmania to stand up for Tasmania. Come and join us or be prepared to lose your seat,” he said.

The party was chasing more members to meet the threshold of 500 for federal registration.

Mr Newitt wants to back Tasmania having “duty-free status” to develop it into Australia’s offshore financial centre.

The party is against fish farm expansion, wants pokies mainly in casinos and is in favour of expanding industries such as information technology and maritime engineering.

Alan Barnett is the party’s other candidate in Denison.

“The party is primarily for the benefit of Tasmanians and Tasmania so that people here in Tasmania can have genuine representation and feel like their interests are being looked after,” he said.

“I’ve got a good sense that we’re going to do fairly well.”