Rockliff, winter – time to go
Because clearly, neither of them is getting Tasmania out of neutral.

No matter how the votes fell last weekend, one inescapable truth remains: Neither Jeremy Rockliff nor Dean Winter are fit to lead Tasmania.
This isn’t about traditional party lines. This is about a profound leadership vacuum that has crippled our state. Both Rockliff and Winter bear direct responsibility for Tasmania’s current political paralysis:
- Rockliff’s Arrogance and Debt: The Premier wilfully squandered his majority, governing with a toxic blend of arrogance and panic. Obsessed with a stadium and endless spin, he allowed state debt to spiral while essential services crumbled around Tasmanians.
- Winter’s Empty Gambit: Dean Winter triggered an early election knowing his party lacked any credible path to government. His campaign was built on mere “vibes” and desperate, last-ditch slogans, offering no substantive alternative, especially around debt management.
Between them, they’ve reduced this election to a depressing contest over who should resign first, rather than who should genuinely lead.
So I will be blunt: both must step aside.
two paths forward – neither involves them
If Tasmania is to finally break free from this cycle of weak leadership and perpetual deadlock, we need a decisive circuit-breaker. Two pathways offer a genuine reset for our state:
- A Centre-Right Coalition, Led by Bridget Archer. Bridget Archer has earned federal respect by consistently standing up for integrity, Indigenous issues, and climate action – even against her own party. She speaks plainly, listens to communities, and crucially, hails from the North, a region exhausted by being overlooked. A coalition of Liberals and genuine moderates could rally under her leadership with crossbench support. This is only viable if they commit to rigorous fiscal discipline, urgent action on housing and health, and decisively breaking the grip of the Elite Cartels that continue to pull strings behind the scenes.
- A Centre-Left Coalition, Led by David O’Byrne. Regardless of past controversies, David O’Byrne brings a formidable policy intellect and extensive political experience. He maintains strong connections with the union movement and working Tasmanians. A centre-left alliance of Labor, the Greens, and select independents under O’Byrne could fundamentally reset the agenda on health, housing, and education. This, however, demands that Labor swallows its pride and prioritises genuine renewal over narrow factionalism.
leadership renewal or perpetual stalemate.
This isn’t merely a political suggestion; it’s an urgent necessity. Tasmania simply cannot afford another term of Rockliff stagnation or Labor drifting aimlessly under Winter.
The electorate’s persistent support for the crossbench and widespread disillusionment with both major parties confirm this undeniable truth.
Leadership must reflect the Tasmania of today; agile, innovative, and community-focused, not the rusted-on party loyalties of the 1990s.
final word.
Should this election inevitably deliver another hung parliament, the answer is not more backroom deals to prop up the same failed faces.
The only sustainable solution is new leadership, new alliances, and a fresh agenda.
And that begins with both Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter performing the one truly statesmanlike act they have left: Step aside.
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