Heat on Libs over sitting days

LABOR says the paucity of parliamentary sitting days shows a government afraid of scrutiny, as a Greens bid to beef-up question time failed.

Parliament resumed on Tuesday after a 40-day break in proceedings.

Leader of Opposition Business Dean Winter said parliament met infrequently because the government didn’t like being questioned.

“This is a divided government in chaos which fears legitimate scrutiny,” he said.

“We are reminded of this when we look at the fractured relationships on the government frontbench.

“Three MPs have resigned, a third of the Cabinet has quit, parliament was cancelled for over a month and we now have a weak Premier Tasmanians didn’t choose.”

No Question Time was held during Tuesday’s sitting, the first since then premier Peter Gutwein prorogued proceedings before his resignation.

The newest member of parliament, Simon Wood, was sworn into the House of Assembly after being declared elected as the member for Bass after Mr Gutwein’s departure.

Mr Wood is a former member of the Launceston City Council and a political staffer.

Addressing the parliament for the first time since being sworn in, new Premier Jeremy Rockliff pledged to serve all Tasmanians.

“I’m honoured by the trust and confidence shown by the members of the parliamentary Liberal Party to confirm me as the leader,” he said.

During early debate, a Greens bid to ban the asking of “Dorothy Dixer” questions in state parliament failed.

Party leader Cassy O’Connor said easy questions from government backbenchers to ministers consumed a large proportion of question time.

“They’ve turned question time into an exercise in propaganda that wastes about a third of Question Time.”

Independent MP Kristie Johnston said time dedicated to parliamentary scrutiny was instead being devoted to allowing the government to read out media releases about its own achievements.