In short:
Tasmanian Labor Leader Josh Willie has downplayed rumblings about his leadership.
asserted
Willie → downplay → leadership
Braddon MP Shane Broad has stirred tensions by questioning "parliamentary chaos" caused by the crossbench and saying he wanted to see the party take a majority.
Mr Willie, meanwhile, has called on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to apologise for shaming a primary school's plan to rename its Christmas event.
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Willie → stir → event
Tasmanian Labor Leader Josh Willie has said he "isn't going anywhere", despite leadership tension caused by Braddon MP Shane Broad's social media posts.
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he → say → posts
Mr Broad, from the party's right faction, has stirred debate with his prolific online activity.
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Broad → stir → activity
In a video posted on Monday, he said the parliament was in "chaos" and being "dictated to by the Greens and independents, who only really represent a minority of Tasmanians".
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who → post → Tasmanians
"Tasmania needs the parliamentary chaos to end and for the state to have a clear direction for the future," he said.
"
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he → need → future
It's about making a Labor party that can win a majority of seats in the parliament so that we can get stuff done."
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stuff → make → parliament
Mr Broad contested the party's leadership following the 2021 state election loss, but was beaten by then-Labor member David O'Byrne.
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Broad → contest → O'Byrne
Mr Willie told the media this morning he had spoken to Mr Broad on Tuesday, but did not reveal the content of that conversation.
Asked if he would still be the leader by the end of the year, Mr Willie said he wasn't going anywhere
"I'm focused on Tasmanians.
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I → tell → Tasmanians
I'm concerned about the debate happening in Tasmania at the moment,"he said.
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I → happen → moment,"he
Mr Broad declined to comment.
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Broad → decline → ?
Willie 'ambitious' for his party
The expansion of Tasmania's lower house to 35 seats has narrowed the possibility of either major party attaining majority government.
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party → narrow → government
Labor has been out of power since the Liberals took government in 2014.
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Liberals → take → 2014
Labor currently holds 10 seats, having polled just 26 per cent of the total vote at the 2025 state election.
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Labor → hold → election
The Liberals are governing in minority with just 14 seats, despite collecting 40 per cent of the votes.
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Liberals → govern → votes
Following the election, the Liberals made overtures to the crossbench to win its support — including by promising to ban greyhound racing and review the salmon industry.
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Liberals → follow → industry
Labor, meanwhile, is seen as having improved its working relationship with the progressive side of the crossbench.
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Labor → see → crossbench
Mr Willie is understood to have told the Labor caucus earlier this year he wanted to see the party polling 30 per cent before the turn of the calendar.
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party → understand → calendar
However, last week he said that goal had changed because of the emergence of One Nation.
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goal → say → Nation
He told reporters today the party would continue to announce policies, having done so already.
"Policies like five-day kindergarten and universal access to three-year-old preschool will be a game changer for education; it will pay dividends for decades.
"
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it → continue → decades
I want to see us return to government and that's what I'm working to do every single day."
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I → want → what
Liberal backbencher Michael Ferguson accused Mr Willie of distracting from his leadership woes.
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Ferguson → accuse → woes
"Whenever there is a decision to be made, a policy to be defended, Mr Willie hides," he said.
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he → be → ?
Apology demanded over Christmas scandal
Mr Willie held a press conference this morning to call on Premier Jeremy Rockliff to apologise for shaming a school's attempt to rename its Christmas celebration event.
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Willie → demand → event
"Premier Rockliff a few months ago said that culture wars frankly don't pay the rent," he said.
"
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he → say → rent
He was right — yet a few months later he has taken a 180-degree U-turn."
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he → take → turn
In his original post, Premier Rockliff incorrectly asserted that there had been efforts made to "remove all references to Christmas in end of year school celebrations".
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Rockliff → assert → celebrations
"Christmas wasn't being cancelled.
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Christmas → cancel → ?
He knew that; he misrepresented that, to participate in a culture war," said Mr Willie.
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Willie → know → war
"Words matter when you're the leader of the state.
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you → matter → state
His words have hurt a school community."
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words → hurt → community
Other conservative Liberal MPs, including Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, Treasurer Eric Abetz and Police Minister Felix Ellis, have all since posted, fanning the flames of the incident.
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MPs → include → incident
Last night Mr Rockliff posted again to Facebook, defending his post.
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Rockliff → post → post
It's part of our way of life,"he said.
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It → say → life,"he
"I believe that I have a right to voice that opinion, on behalf of our community."
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I → believe → community
The Aporia