Voters lose faith in Labor

EXCLUSIVE POLL: Momentum builds for Greens and independents

TASMANIAN electors are more likely to vote for the Greens or an independent than Labor, a survey of more than 1000 Mercury readers shows.

Four-fifths of respondents said they had decided who they were going to vote for, with 31 per cent of them saying they intended to vote for the Liberals.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent said they would vote for the Greens, the figure was the same for independents, 16 per cent for Labor while 15 per cent were undecided.

Political analyst Kevin Bonham said while opt-in polls were not necessarily indicative of the broader voter base, the finding was “a little eye-opening”.

Dr Bonham speculated that the survey could have been largely completed by those in the greater Hobart area, where the Greens and independents were typically well supported, especially in the seat of Clark.

“The Green vote and independent votes are likely to be higher in those areas,’’ he said.

“But it doesn’t necessarily show that Labor is doing terribly because there are issues with opt-in surveys.

“I think that the Clarkcentred respondent base would be driving up the performance of the Greens and independents, but there is no way they would get 18 per cent (support) statewide.”

Independent candidate for Clark Kristie Johnston said community members had told her they were frustrated with party politics.

“I’ve had long-term Labor and Liberal supporters coming up to me and saying it was the first time they would be voting independent,’’ the Glenorchy Mayor said.

“I’m hearing a lot of disillusionment with the major parties and absolute frustration that they are focused on themselves.

“We really should be talking about the issues … and the discussion (in the opening weeks) was all about who was being preselected or not being preselected.”

Ms Johnston said health was the number one agenda

item for most voters.

Another high-profile independent running for election in Clark, Sue Hickey, said she also believed voters were disillusioned, arguing the government had failed to deliver during its two terms, particularly in health, housing and traffic.

Ms Hickey said she believed independents strengthened parliament, and that it would make for more of a contest of ideas.

“To me, having independents forces greater debate,’’ she said.

Ms Hickey again hit out at the government for blaming her falling out with the Liberals, putting the party into minority, for the early elecbeing called. Her comments came as many respondents in the Mercury survey expressed strong opinions about the Liberals calling an election a year early.

“I’m very angry about it. It’s a power play by the Liberals to put every other party on the back foot,’’ one wrote.

Others described it as “disgraceful”, “sly”, “opportunistic” while others said it was based on a lie and was an “appalling waste of money”.

But others supported the move, saying it was strategic and was looking for stability and that they saw no issues with it.

In a separate question, two-thirds of respondents said they supported fixed terms for the House of Assembly.

Tasmanian Labor state secretary Stuart Benson said the party had rallied behind its leader, Rebecca White.

“Tasmanians have been let down after seven years of a Liberal government with too many people left behind, the community wants a change and support for Labor is strong,’’ Mr Benson said.

Mr Benson said health was the number one issue raised among voters, while Labor’s plan to provide free school lunches to all primary school students and employ more teachers had been well received.

The lack of housing affordability was also a major contion cern, he said. “The Liberal government has not built enough houses and the public housing waiting list has blown out by 75 per cent, leaving many in our community facing homelessness, which is completely unacceptable,’’ Mr Benson said.

Premier Peter Gutwein said Tasmanians were responding well to the Liberals’ plan, but he said the risk of a minority government was real.

“The challenges we have had to face and the rebuilding we have undertaken over the past year could not have been done by a divided minority government,’’ he said.

“Only a majority Liberal government can provide Tasfour-year manians with the certainty and stability we need.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the party’s campaign to date had been positive.

‘The campaign has been very positive, full of energy and colour, and super powered by our amazing volunteers,’’ she said.

She said the state’s health system was the top issue raised by the community.

“The Liberals’ failure to invest in the state’s health system has left so many Tasmanians and their families in a state of distress and real worry about the health system’s capacity to cope,’’ Ms O’Connor said.