Facing ‘more of the same’
Hickey feels for those in need
FORMER speaker Sue Hickey says she is “a little sad” at her election loss but says she is proud of her record during her single term in state parliament.
The former Hobart lord mayor was spectacularly elevated to the speaker’s chair with the support of Labor and the Greens on her first day on the job in 2018 — against the wishes of her party.
What followed was a difficult relationship with the Liberals, frequently voting against them and eventually leaving the party shortly before the election.
Ms Hickey said her biggest disappointment was that Tasmanians would get more of the same from the government.
“My three-year journey has taught me how privileged I was to work to support so many people of desperate need. For some, Tasmania is a land of plenty but for the other half it is a constant struggle for sur
vival with their health, housing, mental health and literacy problems,” she said.
“I am more disappointed for the more than 50,000 people on hospital waiting lists, 12,000 waiting for dental work and the 10,000 or more waiting for housing and others in need, as the government has no incentive to do better.”
Ms Hickey said Tasmania had endured an unnecessary and costly election that essentially returned the status quo, all based on what she described as a lie. “The Premier never lost his majority in parliament as I had guaranteed him support and he had already signed up Madeleine Ogilvie,” she said.
“Yet he took the opportunist course and attempted to cash-in on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While this did not pay off for him and, in fact, the Liberals’ vote decreased slightly, Labor also lost support, so unfortunately Tasmanians have ended up with essentially the same people taking the similar approach that they’ve adopted over the past seven years.
“I want to thank all those people who encouraged and supported me over my term in parliament and during the election and particularly the small and dedicated team who went above and beyond during the election campaign.”
Ms Hickey congratulated Kristie Johnston on her election as an independent.