More MPs ‘right move’

INCREASING the size of the state parliament might not be popular but it was the right thing to do, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

The Premier has told the audience at CEDA’s State of the State address in Hobart on Thursday that it would be looked back on as an important reversal of a historic mistake.

Mr Rockliff has flagged restoring the number of seats in the House of Assembly by 10 to 35 by the next election – due by 2025 – although the details were yet to be announced.

“I chose that as one of the reform agendas that I put on the table,” he said.

“It’s not popular but it’s absolutely the right thing to do.

“And I would hope that that would signal to Tasmanians that that’s how I like to approach government in many respects.

“We’re not wanting to lose government, I have to say, but we’ve got to make the opportunity of doing what’s right and do it now, and be prepared to accept that criticism.

“But we have to accept that some decisions we make are not always popular but they are the right ones.

“And it’s through my intention, absolutely, to introduce legislation in the parliament at the end of this year, to restore the size of parliament for a functioning democracy in Tasmania.”

Mr Rockliff acknowledged the health system was struggling to keep up with demand, but pledged to do all he could to bring down waiting lists.

“In January last year, our elective surgery waiting list was 12,200, it is now 9700 people – too many and too many of those people are waiting beyond the clinically recommended time frames for their surgery,” he said.

“I don’t like that as Premier, and I don’t like that as Minister for Health, and as consumers of health, many of your families, of course, feel the effects of that.

“But it is working and we’ll continue, continue to get that down to sustainable levels.”

Mr Rockliff said greater health spending could coexist with an AFL team bid and the state could “have it all”, but the AFL had a decision to make about its future here.

“I believe that the AFL has an opportunity, either the participation in AFL decreases, and it dies as a sport in Tasmania … or it steps up to the plate and embraces the opportunity, indeed, the very strong offer our Tasmanian government’s put forward,” he said.