Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie is appealing for the major parties in his home state to embrace power sharing to form government. Both parties are having conniptions over making deals with the crossbench. Labor is further behind on seats (nine to 14 I think) and hasn’t conceded, but is also making it clear it doesn’t want to govern with the Greens or crossbench, so probably should concede.

Wilkie says the major parties need to accept that voters are exploring new ways of forming government and they should get with the program:

“Last Saturday Tasmanians returned to the polls for the second time in 16 months. It was an election nobody wanted, and an outcome nobody thinks was worth the disruption and cost.

“Hanging over the fiasco was of course the State’s dire financial situation, because there are less than 600,000 people in Tasmania and we’re facing a debt of roughly $13 billion by 2028. And that’s despite the chronic underinvestment in our busted health and education systems, not to mention the appalling housing crisis and choking traffic congestion.

“But at least one thing’s clear after the poll, where the independents enjoyed a surge in their vote and no major party secured even close to a majority. And that’s that the community expects all of those elected to grow up and this time make the Parliament work.

“So Liberal and Labor must stop insisting that only majority government is OK, and that the crossbenchers are just wreckers and road blocks. It’s simply not the case. Indeed it’s a lie, because the crossbench vote shows they are not fringe players, but central to the operation of the Parliament.

“In other words it’s time for Liberal and Labor to pull their heads out of the sand and face the reality of power-sharing. Anything less will show contempt for the Tasmanian community.”