SHOT IN THE ARM FOR LIBS
JUST when you thought the Tasmanian election distractions couldn’t get any wilder, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein raised the stakes when he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a massive bicep and black panther tattoo.
It’s understood the 56-year-old taekwondo expert has a matching one on his left arm.
Mr Gutwein was getting his first dose of AstraZeneca but the internet started breaking as Tasmanians finally learned what lived underneath the Premier’s Tassie tux.
Today we reveal the results of some of the first polling to be done during the campaign. A uComms survey shows there are 14.4 per cent of 18-34 year olds still undecided about who to vote for.
Given popular social media meme sites have affectionately dubbed Mr Gutwein “Papi G” and widely shared the photo of him being vaccinated, you’d have to guess Guts’ guns will play out well with the young crowd.
As awe-inspiring as the footage was — when it comes to the election there is a lot more to unpack in today’s Mercury.
Firstly we reveal the results of our own survey that shows Labor is on Struggle Street against the Greens and the independent candidates.
It is all to play for, particularly in Clark, where Sue Hickey and Glenorchy mayor Kristie Johnston are fielding strong campaigns and they have the real potential for picking up disenfranchised voters fed up with the major parties.
Other than Ella Haddad, Labor will struggle with name recognition with its other candidates.
The Greens’ Cassy O’Connor will be hoping to pull a larger percentage of the vote off Labor, more like the results of 2014, with Labor dropping its anti-pokies stance and backing anti-protest legislation instead.
That said, Franklin has to be a concern for the Liberal Party.
Without the vote Hoover that was Will Hodgman, the party doesn’t really have the big name candidate it needs in the heavily populated parts of the electorate.
Opposition Leader Rebecca White pulled a rabbit out of the hat when she had the Tasmanian Labor administration committee’s decision overturned by Labor’s national executive and got Kingborough mayor Dean Winter endorsed as a sixth candidate in Franklin. He has a real chance at attracting a substantial number of moderate, swinging voters.
Labor is undoubtedly the underdog in this election and it’s difficult to see it being possible for Ms White to get the numbers for her party to govern on its own right.
But if there’s one thing we know about our Hare-Clark system it is that the road to victory has many twists and turns and no one will be counting their lucky panthers before they, erm, pounce.