Liberals quiet on numbers game

THE Liberal Government won’t reveal if it has plans to take advantage of its bolstered numbers in parliament in the wake of the resignation of Labor member Scott Bacon.

Mr Bacon’s departure means that for the five or six sitting days of the House of Assembly in early September, the Government will be able to pass legislation without needing to rely on the casting vote of Speaker Sue Hickey in tied votes.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission will advertise in the Mercury today seeking unsuccessful candidates from the 2018 state election to nominate to contest the recount.

The result is expected to be announced by noon on Wednesday, September 11, and the new member sworn in in the following days.

The leader of government business in the Lower House, Michael Ferguson, yesterday would not say whether the Government was planning to accelerate any potentially contentious legislation to take advantage of its temporary advantage.

“We’re certainly a government that works strongly together, we’ll focus on delivering our plan for Tasmanians,” he said in response to questions on the topic.

“That’s what Tasmanians voted for, it’s what they expect, and we will always act in accordance with their wishes.”

Mr Ferguson said Mr Bacon’s departure was something for the Labor Party to concern itself with, not the Government.

“It’s the Labor Party’s problem, it’s not the Government’s business why members resign or choose to retire or how they are replaced. The Government will continue to concentrate on delivering our plans for the Tasmanian people which was widely endorsed at the election only one year ago,” he said.