Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Tasmanian Liberal government got a little bit of good news four days ago—a Newspoll showed a small lift in support. It was a tiny lift of one per cent for the Tasmanian Liberal government. On the other hand, support for the Tasmanian Labor Party dropped from 32 per cent to 29 per cent. This reverses what had been a steady rise for Tasmanian Labor since they put the federal Labor Party in charge.

After they were defeated in the 2022 state election, Tas Labor fell into a rather nasty heap, and the infighting reached a peak when a respected and newly elected Labor member of the upper house resigned, telling the media that he couldn't go on working in such a toxic environment. The state party hadn't won an election in eight years, so the big boys of federal Labor stepped in and put ex-senators Doug Cameron and Nick Sherry in charge. They told the media they would be calling the shots until the next election. The media release put out at the time says that this intervention—and I'm calling it a takeover—was about reinstating trust, respect and transparency. Really? How's that going for you guys down there?

There are lots of reasons Labor is going backwards in the polls. Here are just a couple of them. First they said they were against a stadium, then they said they weren't sure and then they voted to support it. The state Liberals had been promising donation reform for years and said they were going to set a disclosure cap at $5,000, but Labor stuck their chest out, promising they would be more transparent and pushed for a $1,000 limit. Then, when it came down to it, guess what? They caved in and voted with the government. Of course they would! That's why Tasmanian Labor are going backwards in the latest polls: because Tasmanians don't trust you, and when push comes to shove they get told how to vote.

It's the same with the Liberal Party. They put party before people. But I am feeling good, because Tasmanians know what's going on and you can see that in the latest poll. Support for the Independents is surging, and I can tell you what, Tasmanians, we're going to give you choice. Vote for the Independents. Vote for people like the micros and the Jacqui Lambie Network. If you want trust back in the system in Tasmania, you have no other choice other than to continue to let the big boys rule the parties.