Hodgmann heads off
Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman is resigning.
Mr Hodgmann fell back on the classic outgoing politicians’ claim – he needs to spend more time with his family.
He said his 17 and a half years in Parliament was essentially his and wife Nicky's “children's whole lives”.
“It does have an impact on my family, and I cannot deny that I'm conscious of that — what they read in the paper and what they see on the news can affect them,” he said.
He will now be replaced by the Liberal partyroom, probably next week.
Analysts it could be a significant blow for the Liberal Party in the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin at the next election, where Mr Hodgman had been highly popular.
He received more than 27,000 first-preference votes at the last election, out of a total 71,173 formal votes cast.
Mr Hodgmann’s speech laid out his government’s most significant achievements, including changes in the education sector, Tasmania's economic improvement and tourism gains.
“I leave this job with Tasmania in a better place than when we started. We have turned Tasmania around,” he said.
“For the first time ever our economy is the strongest performing in the country. Tasmanian businesses are the most confident in the country.”
Mr Hodgman also leaves behind issues including long waiting lists for elective surgery and housing, as the Government struggles to manage population growth.
Whoever takes over will have significant work to do in the “turnaround state”.