Jeremy Rockliff

Australian politician (born 1970)

Jeremy Page Rockliff (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian politician. He has served as premier of Tasmania since 2022, as state leader of the Liberal Party. He previously served as deputy premier from 2014 to 2022. Rockliff was raised in Sassafras, Tasmania, and was a farmer before entering politics. He was first elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly at the 2002 state election, representing the division of Braddon. He was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 2006 and served as deputy premier from 2014 to 2022 in the governments of Will Hodgman and Peter Gutwein. Rockliff replaced Gutwein as premier in 2022. His party lost its parliamentary majority in 2023. He subsequently called an early election in 2024 and remained as premier in minority government after securing confidence and supply from minor parties and independents.

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.

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.

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, Rockliff 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.

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, Rockliff has continued the state government's negotiations with the Australian Football League in an attempt to gain a 19th team licence for Tasmania. Rockliff 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 Rockliff. In doing so she additionally resigned from the Liberal Party, leaving the government with ten seats in the lower house. Archer subsequently resigned from parliament, following a statement from Rockliff that he would call an early election if she did not do so. On 13 February 2024, Rockliff called a snap election after his demands of a permanent supply and confidence deal were denied by former Liberal MPs Alexander and Tucker. At the 2024 state election, the first since the expansion of the House of Assembly to 35 seats, the Liberal Party suffered a negative swing of 12 points but still finished with the largest share of the vote. Rockliff was unable to form a majority government, with the Liberals winning 14 out of 35 seats. He subsequent reached confidence and supply agreements with the three Jacqui Lambie Network MPs and with independent MP David O'Byrne. The second Rockliff ministry was sworn in on 11 April 2024.

Rockliff has been described as a moderate Liberal. Rockliff supported the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the lead up to the 2023 referendum, despite federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton's opposition. He 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. Rockliff has also supported changing the date of Australia Day from 26 January.