Jeremy Rockliff

Jeremy Page Rockliff (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian politician and farmer, and the 47th and current premier of Tasmania since 2022. He has been the leader of the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party of Australia since 2022 and a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the division of Braddon since the 2002. He was previously the 20th deputy premier of Tasmania from 2014 to 2022. Since the electoral defeat of the Coalition government in New South Wales in March 2023, Rockliff is the only incumbent non-Labor leader of an Australian state government.

Early life and education
Rockliff was born on 5 February 1970 in Devonport, Tasmania. He is the son of Richard and Geraldine Rockliff, with his father's family having farmed at Sassafras since the 1850s.

Rockliff grew up on his family's farm at Sassafras. He attended Latrobe High School and Launceston Church Grammar School. He completed a diploma in farm management at Lincoln University in New Zealand, before returning to Sassafras to manage the family property. He was president of the Latrobe Football Club from 2006 to 2009.

Political career

Early career
Rockliff joined the Young Liberal Movement in 1991, and the Liberal Party in 1992. He became MP for Braddon in the House of Assembly in 2002. He was immediately promoted to the front bench, serving as opposition whip from 2002 until March 2006. When Will Hodgman, who had also been first elected in 2002, was elected leader of The Tasmanian Liberal Party in March 2006, he named Rockliff as his deputy, and hence Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Deputy Premier
Rockliff became Deputy Premier of Tasmania in March 2014, following the Liberal Party winning government at the 2014 state election. He was also Minister for Education and Training, and Minister for Primary Industries and Water. When Hodgman resigned as party leader and Premier in January 2020, Rockcliff did not stand in the subsequent Liberal Party leadership contest, which was won by Peter Gutwein unopposed on 20 January 2020. As such, Rockcliff remained as deputy party leader and Deputy Premier.

Along with being Deputy Premier, Rockliff was also Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Trade, Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Minister for Disability Services and Community Development, and Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Premier
At a party-room meeting on the morning 8 April 2022, Rockliff was elected unopposed as the new leader of the Tasmanian Liberal Party, after Peter Gutwein had announced his resignation earlier that week. That afternoon he was sworn in by the Governor as the 47th Premier of Tasmania.

As Premier, Rockcliff has continued the state government's negotiations with the Australian Football League in an attempt to gain a 19th team licence for Tasmania. Rockcliff has championed a proposed $715million multi-use stadium to be built in Hobart's Macquarie Point as a part of this bid. For his steadfast support of a stadium he has faced criticism from the Tasmanian Labor Party and The Tasmanian Greens as well as some in the federal Liberal Party. On 12 May 2023, Lara Alexander, alongside fellow Tasmanian Liberal John Tucker state MP, would leave the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, in part due to concerns related to the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium project. This leaves the Liberal party in minority government and requiring seven seats to reach a majority in the next state election.

On 28 September 2023, attorney general Elise Archer resigned from cabinet after being asked to do so by Rockcliff. In doing so she additionally resigned from the Liberal party, leaving the government with ten seats in the lower house. Rockcliff has stated that if Archer does not resign from parliament by 9 October he will request an early state election.

Political views
Rockcliff has been described as a moderate Liberal.

Rockcliff supports the Voice to Parliament, despite Peter Dutton and the federal Liberals opposing it. He has stated that he would campaign "vigorously" for the Voice and joined several other state Liberal leaders in supporting the Voice and opposing Dutton's position. Rockcliff also supports changing Australia Day.

References

External links
Personal website

1970 births
Living people
Australian monarchists
Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Tasmania
Deputy Premiers of Tasmania
Premiers of Tasmania
Lincoln University (New Zealand) alumni
21st-century Australian politicians