35 SEATS A GOOD CALL FOR TASSIE

PREMIER Jeremy Rockliff has been hailed a hero of democracy after a surprise move to restore the House of Assembly to 35 members at the next election. The call was one that caught many of his colleagues and opponents in the house by surprise.

Greens’ leader and the motion’s sponsor, Cassy O’Connor, was one of those. She was lost for words on the floor of parliament, but once she regained composure she thanked Mr Rockliff.

“Restoring the numbers in the House of Assembly – as so many speakers have said today – is doing the right thing by the Tasmanian people, the representation that we give them, good governance … to take some a load of ministers, strengthen the backbench and the committee system,” Ms O’Connor said.

“I want to sincerely thank the Premier for his courage and his leadership.

Mr Rockliff’s move was one of many positive changes he had implemented over successive days.

He stood up, casting aside the shadow of former premier Peter Gutwein, to stamp his own brand of leadership on parliament.

And so far all the calls, whether it be the changes to the health system, improvements in child protection or restoring the parliament, have been positive.

The Mercury has long backed a return to 35 seats in the parliament.

Cutting the numbers to 25 in 1998 was a mistake.

The move put too much pressure on the members of the party in power and shifted that power into the hands of bureaucracy.

The move however has opened up a couple of other issues.

The first being pay.

Back in 1998 politicians received a 40 per cent pay rise to compensate them for the extra workload in a smaller parliament.

Now, due to the fact numbers will increase by 10, some are saying pays should decrease. That’s probably a bridge too far.

Another issue is the one of Indigenous representation.

Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman Michael Mansell praised the move but said an expansion of this kind “must” include two dedicated Aboriginal seats.

He cited that New Zealand had seats for Maoris, Maine in the US had seats for First Nations people and Indigenous people in Columbia had dedicated seats.

“We hope that Tasmania would not begrudge Aboriginal people of the opportunity to finally get our people represented in what is an all-white parliament.”

It’s a call that deserves to be fully explored in Tasmania.