Censure motion against Tasmanian premier Rockliff passes state parliament

The motion is based on accusations that the government withheld information from parliament about cost overruns on Tasmania's Macquarie Point stadium project. The opposition Labor Party and the independent bloc told ABC that the state's borrowing bill has risen 18% over the past three quarters and that the Treasury report release schedule has been delayed. Rockliff refused to leave the chamber during the vote and called the motion "political theatre."

The motion is not legally binding, but under the state constitution an additional motion is required to force the premier into a confidence test. The Greens leader said next week's budget amendment seeking extra funds for the Macquarie Point project would be voted down. The Liberal-National coalition's Tasmanian majority shrank to a four-seat margin in late 2024.

A fresh cost report ordered by the Rockliff administration from the Australian Audit Office is expected to be published in July. Tasmanian Treasury bond yields rose 6 basis points after the announcement. There has been no statement from the federal wing of the Liberal Party, but ABC sources said a closed Canberra meeting discussed bringing the state convention forward.