Tasmanian Labor: Road to Power Steepens

0:00Tasmanian labor just wrapped up its first state conference in seven years, signaling they're trying to give back in the game after five straight, election losses. The party's been stuck in opposition for over a decade, now led by their third boss, Josh Willie, with few receipts then the crossbench has players. MPs like Anita Dow and Dean Winter showed up in Hobart to face the rank and file crowd. A lot's shifted since the last gathering back in 2019. State labor hit its worst result in a century last year, while federally, they crushed it, snagging four out of five lower house seats in a chunk of. Senate spots. Guest speakers like federal ministers Murray Watt and Tanya Pliversek highlighted that turnaround, reminding folks Tasmanians picked labor to govern. For 76 of the last 120 years, the vibe at the conference stayed chill. No big blow-ups despite some spice-like young labor, gripping over a short-state levy stance and pushback on a pro-Palestine motion. Every motion passed smooth, from backing urgent care clinics and decriminalizing marijuana

1:03to better pay for bus drivers. Greyhound racing protests outside, ignored inside, tensions simmer under the surface as labor eyes fights over education cuts at Taste Tafe E and early childhood investment. But polls show them at 23%, even below last year's flop, facing a centered-up liberal premier Jeremy Rockliffe who's holding. Conservatives in check. Under Tasmania's Hare Clark System, majors rarely snag outright majorities anymore, with independence and minors rising fast. State labor's drawing hope from federal winds, but that long road to power looks steeper than ever with cross-binge deals likely in play. That's your update from Sydney News Today, powered by AI.