|
April 9, 2010
I see that Tasmanian Governor, Peter Underwood, has invoked the constitutional default position to a hung Parliament. David Bartlett’s caretaker government must continue and the government be tested on the floor of the House of Assembly. The Greens have said they would guarantee they would not move or support any no-confidence motion in a new Labor government in parliament. They went for stability as the best way to establish their legitimacy.
The Liberals refused to even talk to the Greens. Ruling out any deals with the Greens meant that Labor could continue in Government, after, Will Hodgman, the Liberals Leader refused to give guarantees to Labor. So no explicit Lib Lab coalition. The Liberals are angry--we was robbed--- as it is more years in opposition for them. Is that what the party wanted? Or were they doing the bidding of the old guard run by Senator Eric Betz that is allied with Gunns, and who cannot accept that Tasmania is changing from extractive industries based on unprocessed commodities such as mining and forestry, that can no longer compete on the world stage, to clever new technologies.
Bartlett refused to talk to the Greens as well. They were the enemy etc etc. Old Labor still sees the pulp mill as the states saviour, is willing to subsidize the bulk extractive forestry industry, and desires to destroy the Greens. They are in bed with big corporate money and had little time for democracy. The political wheel turns, and Premier Bartlett has grasped minority government in Tasmania suggesting some sort of deal with the Greens, even though he said there would never be no deals. If he is to retain power beyond the first Liberal no confidence motion, then he has to talk to the Greens.
That could mean a more accountable Labor as some bills would have to be negotiated. So there are some brakes on the unfettered power of corporatism. Then again, it could mean that there could be appalling Labor legislation supported by the Liberals and opposed by the Greens. So LibLabs remain in lockstep. Still that even that is a better scenario than a Lib-Lab coalition, as that would mean corporate interests completely smothering the public interest.
Update
The Governor's reasons for his decision have been made public. Hodgman and the Liberals had assumed that Labor had made promises at a Press conference prior to the election not to block supply and that it would not move a vote of no confidence in a Liberal government except in extreme circumstances. Bartlett denied it. The Liberals had been had about the LibLab promise.
|
The Australian rants and raves about the nasty, horrible evil Greens.
The editorial concludes by supporting LibLab----it says that the job for the two main party leaders is to work so hard that only environmental eccentrics will feel the need to vote Green at the next election.