The Liberals have been spectacularly dunked on by their much-vaunted ‘Michael Jordan of the insurance industry’, but still they won’t admit their star election policy has fouled out in the first quarter.
Jeremy Rockliff is trying to pretend like TasInsure 2.0 is the winner he promised last year, but Tasmanians are calling foul. To start with, the 100 day shot clock the Liberals put on delivering the policy expired months ago. And now the idea of a state-owned insurer has been benched altogether.
Of course there’s been plenty of Liberal ideas lobbed out in elections only to never come true – just look at the stadium cost cap, MP loyalty laws, or banning ambulance ramping. But what makes TasInsure even worse is the way the government is subbing in a new idea to replace an old one while trying to pretend nothing has changed. That’s way out of bounds.
We know the Premier is desperately trying to find a way to bounce back from taking such a recklessly desperate shot to sway voters during an election. Seriously though, what about some honesty? Would it be so hard for him to admit he’d strayed way out of his league?
Jeremy Rockliff’s immediate attempt to pretend his policy hadn’t travelled into a different postcode was highly regrettable. But he still has a chance to rebound and show some integrity.
The Premier needs to stop pretending his airball is nothing but net and get real. It’s time he took some responsibility for this shocker of a captain’s call.
If he can’t do that, he should expect a full court press when Parliament returns next week.
