Rockliff addressed the media outside parliament this morning, as the issue gains momentum.
A vote is expected on the issue this afternoon, with a number of MPs set to speak after debate resumes from 10am.
Outside parliament, Rockliff was defiant, calling opposition leader Dean Winter’s motion “divisive and destructive”.
“This will be an election that Tasmanians don’t want and Tasmania cannot afford. Be that on Mr Winter’s head,” he said.
“This has been a selfish grab for power.”
Rockliff said the government had “built a better Tasmania”.
“I cannot let Mr Winter’s selfish grab for power destroy what we have built over the course of the last decade,” he said.
“The only job Mr Winter is interested in is mine. And I am not going anywhere.”
Winter tabled the motion on Tuesday before moving it yesterday morning.
He claimed it was driven by Rockliff’s management, bungles around the Spirit of Tasmania vessels, and controversy over potential privatisation.
If the no-confidence motion succeeds, Rockliff intends to meet with Lieutenant Governor Chris Shanahan – who is temporarily filling in for Governor Barbara Baker while she is on leave – to request the dissolution of parliament.
If Labor’s motion receives the support of the crossbench, it is likely to pass.
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Caught up in the issue is Tasmania’s potential admission to the AFL.
The football governing body insists that the inclusion of the Tasmania Devils in the league depends on the construction of a new stadium in Hobart, with costs now approaching $1 billion.
Rockliff has been a staunch supporter of Tasmania’s AFL bid, but the Greens have pointed to the growing stadium costs as a prime example of budget mismanagement.
