Ms O’CONNOR – Premier, when your Government was thrown into minority by the defection of two of your members, you said that you’d be reaching across the Chamber to make that work. There is absolutely no evidence of that yet. From the outside, and from the inside too, it looks like your Government is not coping with being in minority. We saw evidence of that on Thursday night in the House when it all fell apart. I will just remind you –
Mr ROCKLIFF – I don’t need reminding, Ms O’Connor.
Ms O’CONNOR – in the four years of the Labor-Greens government we never lost control of the floor once. You’ve lost it twice in as many weeks. What are you going to do as Premier to provide stability in your changed circumstances? Will you be changing anything about the way you and your Government operate?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Well, you know, I can point to minority governments in the past –
Ms O’CONNOR – That didn’t lose control of the floor twice in two weeks?
CHAIR – Ms O’Connor, please let the Premier answer.
Mr ROCKLIFF – There is no doubt we are a minority. We have been a majority. But Tasmania is in a very good place. We’ve got 56 000 more jobs that we’ve created since 2014. Our unemployment is at an all-time low – half of what it was under the previous government. Job vacancies remain high and we’re leading the nation in wages growth. That’s the first time in a decade. So, our plan has delivered really fantastic economic conditions. We’re investing in areas that Tasmanians would expect us to invest in in terms of those key services as well. But, of course –
Ms O’CONNOR – I’m more talking about how you’d operate-
CHAIR – Ms O’Connor, please let him answer.
Ms O’CONNOR – Thank you, I’m waiting for him to, Chair.
CHAIR – Well, please let him answer in silence.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I’ve seen where we had a previous member for Clark and the way-
Ms O’CONNOR – She was a handful.
Mr ROCKLIFF – and the way that matters were. All respect for Ms Hickey, we’ve been friends for a very long time, still get on very well and I enjoyed working with Ms Hickey. We had a number of decisions made in the parliament at that point of time at which the parliament came together and sometimes not so. Absolutely, my intention is to reach across the Chamber, working with both Mrs Alexander and Mr Tucker, and anyone else who wants to work with our Government for the betterment of our society and –
Ms O’CONNOR – Just to be clear though, when Ms Hickey was in the Chair, although she could be unpredictable, it –
Mr ROCKLIFF – This is a commentary. It’s like reading editorial.
Ms O’CONNOR – it delivered nation leading gender reforms. It was still technically a majority Government. Now you’re in a minority government. Given the events of the first couple of weeks in parliament of your minority Government, I’m just wondering what lessons have been learnt and how you as Premier and your ministers might change the way you operate in order to deliver the stability that Tasmanians deserve, that businesses are looking for and that sort of thing?
Mr ROCKLIFF – All our ministers work with other members of parliament. I am often having discussions with other members of parliament of all political persuasions about various needs in the community and receive correspondence as well, which we act on. In supporting individual members of parliament to represent their constituents – and my expectation is that every minister takes that very seriously –
Ms O’CONNOR – A bit more humility, perhaps?
CHAIR – Order, Ms O’Connor.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I am not sure what you are getting at there. I am not sure if that is an attack on me for not being humble.
Ms O’CONNOR – I think you are a relatively humble person.
CHAIR – Order, Ms O’Connor.
Ms O’CONNOR – He was provoking a conversation.
CHAIR – Please, let the Premier finish his answer.
Ms O’CONNOR – You are a humble person, relatively.
Mr ROCKLIFF – I recognise where we are in terms of our Government. As Premier, I will be delivering stable government for the people of Tasmania. In order to achieve that, we will be working together to do that.
Ms O’CONNOR – Working together with who?
Mr ROCKLIFF – With all members of parliament.
Ms O’CONNOR – Okay.
