Latest news with #politicalinstability
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Crossbench MPs expected to again hold power after the Tasmanian state election — how do they plan to use it?
Prominent independent candidates Kristie Johnston and Peter George say they won't sign confidence and supply deals with a new government if Tasmanians elect another hung parliament. But they insist the lack of a formal agreement won't result in political instability. Premier Jeremy Rockliff's government collapsed after just 15 months in June, after a majority of parliamentarians supported a no-confidence motion in him. An early election was called after the Liberals refused to change leader, and Labor declined to form a minority government with the Greens. With all polling released during the campaign indicating a hung parliament is the most likely result, both Labor and the Liberals have said they'll attempt to form a minority government with "sensible" independents if they fall short of winning the 18 seats required to form majority. Clark candidate Ms Johnston and Franklin candidate Mr George have both said they won't sign formal confidence and supply agreements — like those the Liberals signed with the Jacqui Lambie Network and independent David O'Byrne — with a new government. Ms Johnston — who was elected in 2021 and voted for the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff — last year committed to supporting the previous government's budgets "on merit", and resolved to assess each no-confidence motion on their merits, eventually supporting all but one. She said confidence and supply deals were "a thing of the past". "And that's a matter of what's in front of me on the day." Mr George also said he didn't intend to sign a confidence and supply agreement with any party. "I will judge each legislation, each policy, on its merits and that does not mean we'll have an unstable government," he said. "There are so many good governments around the world which represent many different points of view, that's what democracy is all about. "That's not going to be a government hanging by a thread for god's sake, that's going to be a government upon which the voter is demanding that they cooperate with a broad range of views for the benefit of Tasmania." The anti-fish farm campaigner and former ABC foreign correspondent, who secured almost 22 per cent of the primary vote in Franklin at the recent federal election, said he'd support a no-confidence motion in cases of malfeasance, criminality, or "some outrageous stance by whatever minority party happens to be holding the reins". "But it'd have to be pretty extreme to do that … a democracy isn't supposed to work where the winner takes all. Mr George said he would not have supported the no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff, saying the motion brought by Labor "was not so extreme that it was worthwhile Labor trying to bring down the government". Independent Braddon candidate Craig Garland, who was elected last year, also voted for the no-confidence motion. He did not sign a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals in the last parliament, but said he was more inclined to sign a deal with a new government in the next term, if he was elected. "I understand the significance of a written agreement, so if we can come to some sort of agreement, I have no worries doing a written agreement with whoever was going to form government," he said. Mr Garland said the no-confidence motion should not have brought about an early election, arguing Mr Rockliff should have stepped down as Liberal leader, and Labor should have tried to govern in minority. "I approached the Labor Party when the Liberals said they weren't going to change leader and Labor were in the mix," he said. "I said, 'look you can work with the Greens and get the support of three crossbenchers … we can sit down at the table, forget our own personal asks, let's sit down and work on the things we can do for the first 12 months like integrity and other things'. "I suggested that was the way to go, but they said, 'no we're not going to do that, we won't work with the Greens'." Franklin Independent candidate David O'Byrne voted against the no-confidence motion, warning it would lead to an early election. Mr O'Byrne, a former Labor minister who briefly held the party's leadership, signed a supply and confidence deal with Mr Rockliff, and said it was his intention to sign another deal with a new government, led by either major party. "You need to provide certainty and clarity, not only to the potential premier but to the Governor and you need to be transparent to the people of Tasmania on what basis you provide your confidence and supply and at what stage that will be withdrawn," he said. Mr O'Byrne said the major parties and the crossbench all needed to adjust their approach to avoid a string of constant elections. "Independent members need to work constructively; if you make it too hard for governments to agree with the things you feel strongly about, you're always going to upset yourself, and every issue cannot be the test of the relationship," he said. "We can't have constant elections, people will not sustain that. "It doesn't mean you trade away your values or what you feel strongly about, but you just need to be realistic, pragmatic, be mature about it and try to make parliament function as opposed to try and make the parliament fall apart." The National Party has also vowed to negotiate an agreement with either major party to form government. Lyons Nationals candidate John Tucker, a former Liberal-turned independent MP who lost his seat at last year's election, said his party would not form a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party, like it does at a federal level, and is open to working with both major parties. "We will negotiate with whichever party has the most numbers and looks like forming government if we're in the fortunate position to get a number of people elected and we can form a minority government," he said. "We will decide, depending on how many seats we do get, who has the most seats and their policy positions and where we can get the most benefit for rural and regional Tasmanians with our negotiations." But Mr Tucker said the party would not govern with any party that did a deal with the Greens. "We will not go into government with the Greens and we're making that very, very clear, we're ruling that out right from the word go," he said. Political analyst Robert Hortle, the deputy director of the University of Tasmania's Tasmanian Policy Exchange, said a minority government could function effectively without supply and confidence deals. "A party can still govern in minority without any formal agreements around confidence and supply, it just makes it a fair bit trickier for them because they have to negotiate the passage of every bill and the passage of the budget as well obviously, and also then negotiate around any no-confidence motions that might come up," Dr Hortle said. "It really depends on the attitudes that MPs take into the parliament, it doesn't have to be an unstable arrangement if MPs are able to approach those negotiations in the spirit of collaboration and compromise and focusing on what's best for Tasmania. "But if the approach is more sort of the polarised adversarial one that we've seen in the past then the absence of those deals can make it trickier because everything is up for negotiation at every stage." Dr Hortle said a new government could simply test whether it had the support of a majority of parliamentarians through a vote of confidence in the House of Assembly, without having formal deals secured. The National Party has failed to resonate with Tasmanians previously, but is hopeful it can become the state's fourth political force, after the Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN) announced it would no longer contest Tasmanian elections. The Nationals are running nine candidates across Braddon, Bass and Lyons, including former JLN MPs Andrew Jenner and Miriam Beswick. Mr Tucker said he hoped the party's pro-industry views, and stance against the contentious Macquarie Point stadium, would help the party pick up at least a seat at Saturday's election. "If we can get one person elected into the state parliament, we've achieved what we've set out to do," he said. Craig Garland was the last person elected in Braddon at last year's election after winning five per cent of the primary vote. He said it was "a rude shock" to find out he'd got in after multiple unsuccessful tilts at state and federal parliament. "I was actually sitting in the shed slinging a net … so I was in here, no phone reception, about 5:30 I walked out the door and my phone just pinged for god knows how long, there were lots and lots of messages and a lot from political representatives and I thought, 'oh no, I've got in'." he said. Mr Garland said he was hopeful he'd be returned, but was taking nothing for granted. All up, there are 161 candidates contesting Saturday's election, with 91 of them potential crossbenchers. The Greens are running seven candidates in each of the five seats, meaning there are 56 candidates running as independents or for the Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. The list contains a mix of current and former MPs seeking to return to state parliament, such as Mr Tucker and former Liberal attorney-general Elise Archer, who is running in Clark. There is also a large number of people seeking to enter state parliament for the first time, including Mr George.
Khaleej Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Turkish assets slide as political crackdown widens
Turkey's international bonds and lira currency weakened on Monday, and the cost of insuring government debt against default rose, following weekend detentions of opposition mayors. The detentions, which prosecutors say are part of anti-corruption investigations, are seen by the opposition and some foreign leaders as an effort by President Tayyip Erdogan to weaken the Republic People's Party (CHP). Jamie Fallon of Tellimer said the detentions had "fuelled fears around the rule of law and political instability". Turkish assets are notably sensitive to domestic politics, with foreign investors crowding back in after Erdogan's return to orthodox economic policies in 2023, but prepared to ditch them if the latest political developments impact those policies - or the economy more broadly. The lira slid by some 0.2% to beyond 40 against the dollar, before clawing back some of the losses, to trade at 39.99 at 1025 GMT, still weaker than its close on Friday. Turkey's international dollar bonds also slid, with the 2045 maturity shedding nearly 1 cent to be bid at 85 cents on the dollar. And the country's five-year credit default swap, an indication of the cost of insuring its debt against default, widened by 13 basis points from Friday's close to 292 bps. The mayors of the big southern cities of Adana, Adiyaman and Antalya were taken into custody as part of a corruption investigation, expanding a months-long legal crackdown well beyond its origins in Istanbul. Istanbul's benchmark BIST 100 index was down 1.25% at 1050 GMT. The banking index was down 0.58% at the same time, after an earlier drop of 1.68%. The lira has weakened some 11% so far this year on concerns over domestic politics and conflicts in neighbouring countries. There are expectations that Turkey's central bank would begin cutting rates again this month, but the lira's weakness — and the economic impact of the political developments — has thrown that prospect into question. Hilmi Yavas, an Istanbul-based independent macro strategist, said the bank's efforts to stabilide the economy were already under pressure. "High real interest rates still seem necessary to contain domestic demand for foreign currency, while services inflation remains more elevated than a central banker would find comfortable," Yavas said. "Meanwhile, tight monetary policy is placing increasing strain on the real economy."
Reuters
07-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Turkish assets slide as political crackdown widens
ISTANBUL/LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Turkey's international bonds and lira currency weakened on Monday, and the cost of insuring government debt against default rose, following weekend detentions of opposition mayors. The detentions, which prosecutors say are part of anti-corruption investigations, are seen by the opposition and some foreign leaders as an effort by President Tayyip Erdogan to weaken the Republic People's Party (CHP). Jamie Fallon of Tellimer said the detentions had "fuelled fears around the rule of law and political instability". Turkish assets are notably sensitive to domestic politics, with foreign investors crowding back in after Erdogan's return to orthodox economic policies in 2023, but prepared to ditch them if the latest political developments impact those policies - or the economy more broadly. The lira slid by some 0.2% to beyond 40 against the dollar, before clawing back some of the losses, to trade at 39.99 at 1025 GMT, still weaker than its close on Friday. Turkey's international dollar bonds also slid, with the 2045 maturity shedding nearly 1 cent to be bid at 85 cents on the dollar. And the country's 5-year credit default swap, an indication of the cost of insuring its debt against default, widened by 13 basis points from Friday's close to 292 bps. The mayors of the big southern cities of Adana, Adiyaman and Antalya were taken into custody as part of a corruption investigation, expanding a months-long legal crackdown well beyond its origins in Istanbul. Istanbul's benchmark BIST 100 index (.XU100), opens new tab was down 1.25% at 1050 GMT. The banking index (.XBANK), opens new tab was down 0.58% at the same time, after an earlier drop of 1.68%. The lira has weakened some 11% so far this year on concerns over domestic politics and conflicts in neighbouring countries. There are expectations that Turkey's central bank would begin cutting rates again this month, but the lira's weakness - and the economic impact of the political developments - has thrown that prospect into question. Hilmi Yavas, an Istanbul-based independent macro strategist, said the bank's efforts to stabilize the economy were already under pressure. "High real interest rates still seem necessary to contain domestic demand for foreign currency, while services inflation remains more elevated than a central banker would find comfortable," Yavas said. "Meanwhile, tight monetary policy is placing increasing strain on the real economy."
France 24
07-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Crowds celebrate Nepal ex-king's birthday in show of support
Gyanendra Shah, the last king of Nepal, was deposed in 2008 at the end of a decade-long civil war. "I am thankful to everyone who came," Shah said in a brief address to the crowd, dressed in a brown suit jacket and sporting a traditional Nepali cloth hat. In the past year, public support for the restoration of the monarchy has grown -- in tandem with dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development in the country of 30 million people. Waving flags and carrying banners, supporters lined the streets near Shah's residence, some honking traditional trumpets and thumping drums. Nepal's royal palace in the capital Kathmandu is now a museum, and Shah's home is a sprawling estate fortified with high walls. "I wish him a long life, and hope to see monarchy return soon," Prajuna Shrestha, a 33-year-old businesswoman, told AFP. Shah accepted flowers and traditional offerings as his grandchildren stood behind him. 'Politics has deteriorated' Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, began his fourth term last year after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament. "We need a king because it was the monarchy that first unified Nepal," Shrestha added. "If we look at the current situation, politics has deteriorated, and the politicians have ruined our country." Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre. His coronation took place as a Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal. Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering a democratic uprising in which the Maoists sided with Nepal's political establishment to orchestrate huge street protests. That eventually precipitated the end of the conflict, with parliament voting in 2008 to abolish Nepal's 240-year-old Hindu monarchy. Abdicated king Shah had largely refrained from commenting on Nepal's fractious politics, but has recently made several public appearances with supporters. According to the World Bank, Nepal is currently facing multiple challenges, with more than 80 percent of the workforce in informal employment. The bank also notes however, that real GDP grew by 4.9 percent in the first half of the 2025 financial year -- up from 4.3 percent in the same period a year earlier -- primarily due to a "pickup in agricultural and industrial sectors".
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Supreme Court sides with Trump in South Sudan deportation fight
By Andrew Chung (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court again sided with President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday in a legal fight over deporting migrants to countries other than their own, lifting limits a judge had imposed to protect eight men who the government sought to send to politically unstable South Sudan. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the decision a "win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people" and said the men would "be in South Sudan" by Friday. The court on June 23 put on hold Boston-based U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy's April 18 injunction requiring migrants set for removal to so-called "third countries" where they have no ties to be given a chance to tell officials that they are at risk of torture there, while a legal challenge plays out. The justices on Thursday granted a Justice Department request to clarify that their June 23 decision also extended to Murphy's separate May 21 ruling that the administration had violated his injunction in attempting to send a group of migrants to South Sudan. The U.S. State Department has urged Americans to avoid the African nation "due to crime, kidnapping and armed conflict." The court said that Murphy should now "cease enforcing the April 18 injunction through the May 21 remedial order." The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority. "The Supreme Court's ruling rewards the government for violating the injunction and delaying implementation of the remedy the district court ordered," said Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which helps represent the plaintiffs. "Eight men are now at imminent risk of deportation to perilous and unsafe conditions in South Sudan," Realmuto said. Two liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from Thursday's decision. "Today's order clarifies only one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial," Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion. Fellow liberal Justice Elena Kagan, who dissented from the court's decision to lift Murphy's injunction, nevertheless agreed with the decision on Thursday. "I do not see how a district court can compel compliance with an order that this court has stayed," Kagan wrote. The administration has said its third-country policy is critical for removing migrants who commit crimes because their countries of origin are often unwilling to take them back. Murphy found that the administration's policy of "executing third-country removals without providing notice and a meaningful opportunity to present fear-based claims" likely violates due process requirements under the U.S. Constitution. Due process generally requires the government to provide notice and an opportunity for a hearing before taking certain adverse actions. The judge's May 21 order mandating further procedures for the South Sudan-destined migrants prompted the U.S. government to keep the migrants at a military base in Djibouti. After the Supreme Court lifted Murphy's April injunction on June 23, the judge promptly ruled that his May 21 order "remains in full force and effect." Calling that ruling by the judge a "lawless act of defiance," the Justice Department the next day urged the Supreme Court to clarify that its action applied to Murphy's May 21 decision as well. 'CLEAR REBUKE' Even as it accused the judge of defying the Supreme Court, the administration itself has been accused of violating judicial orders including in the third-country deportation litigation. "Today's decision makes clear it is district court judges who are defying Supreme Court orders, not the Trump administration. This decision is a clear rebuke of such judicial overreach," White House David Warrington said on Thursday. After the Department of Homeland Security moved in February to step up rapid deportations to third countries, immigrant rights groups filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of migrants seeking to prevent their removal to such places without notice and a chance to assert the harms they could face. In March, the administration issued guidance providing that if a third country has given credible diplomatic assurance that it will not persecute or torture migrants, individuals may be deported there "without the need for further procedures." The Justice Department said in a filing that the United States has received credible diplomatic assurances from South Sudan that the migrants at issue will not be subject to torture. The Supreme Court has let Trump implement some contentious immigration policies while the fight over their legality continues to play out. In two decisions in May, it let Trump end humanitarian programs for hundreds of thousands of migrants to live and work in the United States temporarily. The justices, however, faulted the administration's treatment of some migrants as inadequate under constitutional due process protections.
