Tazzy election result may strengthen hand of anti-salmon farming lobby

Tasmania’s salmon farming industry may face a new challenge after a snap election for the state’s parliament left independent and Green MPs holding the balance of power.

The centre-right Liberal Party, led by Premier Jeremy Rockliff, secured 14 seats, while Labour under Dean Winter claimed nine, leaving both short of the 18-seat majority required in the 35-member Assembly, reports the Australian Business Journal.

The Liberals had also won 14 seats in the previous election held in March last year and had formed a minority government as a result of a confidence and supply arrangement that collapsed last September, eventually leading to Rockliff calling a new election.

The result of that election is that there is only one conservative-leaning crossbencher, Carlo Di Falco, which analysts believe will complicate Rockliff's attempts to form a government.

Anti-salmon MPs

Re-elected independents include Peter George and fisherman Craig Garland, who are both long-term campaigners against salmon farming. There are also five Greens, as there were in the previous Assembly.

Negotiations are now taking place between the independents, Greens and the two main parties.

According to Wikipedia, Garland has expressed openness to signing a confidence and supply agreement, on condition that the future of, and possible phasing out of native forest logging and salmon farming is discussed. George won’t sign a confidence and supply agreement.

Labour leader Winter has said that if the Liberals don’t have the numbers to form a government, he would negotiate with crossbenchers to form a Labour-led minority government. This was seen as a retraction of his prior pledges, in which he refused to form a government with the support of the Greens.