Insults fly over claim

THE state’s two major political parties have ended the week with an exchange of barbs – each accusing the other of being beset by chaos and disunity.

In a Talking Point article in today’s Mercury, Labor leader Rebecca White accuses the government of “lurching from crisis to crisis” and being unwilling to show up for parliament.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the accusation was a bit rich coming from a party placed under the administration of its federal branch just a week ago.

Ms White writes that the government’s decision to delay the return of parliament for a week was without recent parallel.

“Cancelling parliament for political reasons is extremely rare and doing that twice in one year is, in fact, unprecedented in Tasmania for the past 40 years,” she said.

“The only other time it has happened in our recent history was 1981 – at the height of the Tasmanian dams controversy.

“So, for it to happen twice this year, interrupting the business and scrutiny of parliament, demands greater analysis of what is going wrong with the government.

“Let’s be clear, the only reason the

Premier decided to prorogue parliament next week is because the Liberal government is clearly struggling.”

Speaking in Launceston on Friday, Ms White said that the community was waiting for action on the runaway cost of living.

“The government ran away from parliament because they didn’t want to have the debate,” she said.

Mr Rockliff said the government had been busy.

“While the Tasmanian Labor Opposition continue to reel after a hostile takeover by mainland Labor, we are getting on with the job of delivering for all Tasmanians, in the areas that matter to them,” he said.

He listed a series of government achievements during the week, including attendance at national cabinet and the national health ministers’ meetings, announcing a plan to recruit and retain nurses and midwives and opening the Northern Employment and Business Hub.

Mr Rockliff also pointed to a successful tourism and trade mission to New Zealand, the launch of the Housing Choices Tasmania 16-dwelling development in Oakdowns and the deployment of nine new community paramedics.