NECA Tasmania Welcomes Premier Rockliff’s Return and Calls for Unity to End Political Instability

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) Tasmania welcomes the reinstatement of Jeremy Rockliff as Premier, following his reappointment by Governor Barbara Baker after the recent state election resulted in a hung parliament.

While the election outcome has delivered a complex parliamentary landscape, NECA Tasmania is calling on all elected representatives—particularly Labor leader Dean Winter, the Labor Party, and all crossbenchers—to honour the will of the people and the Governor’s decision, and to make this parliament work without further disruption.

“Enough is enough,” said Ben Shaw, Executive Director of NECA Tasmania. “We’ve had years of political instability, repeated early elections, and prolonged caretaker periods. It’s killing business confidence and threatening the future of key investment projects across the state.”

“There are too many important opportunities on the table—government purchase orders are stalled, critical projects are delayed, and investment decisions are on hold,” Mr Shaw said. “Our electrical businesses, and the broader construction sector, are stuck in limbo. The longer this uncertainty drags on, the more damage is done.”

Mr Shaw highlighted that essential projects in health, education, and core services are already being impacted by ongoing caretaker arrangements. Equally concerning is the fragility of confidence in Tasmania’s booming energy sector, with Marinus Link, North West Transmission Development, and several large-scale renewable energy investments all requiring a stable and functioning government to progress. Collectively, these represent hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, thousands of future jobs, and long-term energy security for the state.

“On top of this, we have momentum around a new stadium, and a critical housing shortage that needs urgent attention. These cannot be allowed to fall by the wayside due to political dysfunction.”

“We call on Mr Winter, the Labor Party, and all crossbenchers to put Tasmania first,” Mr Shaw said. “Respect the Governor’s call, accept the people’s decision, and support a functioning parliament that can get on with the job. The time for grandstanding and gridlock is over. It’s time to put the politics to bed—for the betterment of all Tasmanians.”

NECA Tasmania stands ready to work with the Rockliff Government, opposition, and crossbench to support project delivery, workforce planning, and economic growth across the state.