With rumours about a Rockliff cabinet reshuffle growing by the day, Minister Felix Ellis’ ever-growing list of failures should have him in line for demotion.
In his short but tumultuous tenure, the rookie Minister has already presided over a litany of blunders.
He was asleep at the wheel while Sustainable Timbers Tasmania was giving Tasmanian forestry jobs to Victorian companies. John Tucker called Minister Ellis ‘inept’ and his response to the forestry crisis a ‘stark display of incompetence’.
He showed former fire chief Dermot Barry the door when Mr Barry disagreed with him, and then misrepresented Mr Barry in Budget Estimates. He refused to even acknowledge Tasmania Fire Service workers who were in the gallery in Parliament – because they disagreed with him too.
He leant so hard on Keystone Tasmania that respected duo of Chair Norm McIlfatrick and CEO Dr Karin Mathison resigned.
He undermined workplace culture at TAFE by trying to force through unlawful industrial relations changes that hurt workers, students, businesses and the economy.
He was even callous enough to put jobs in his own electorate at risk by failing to support Mallee Resources at the Avebury mine.
And these are just the Ellis errors the public knows about.
While there might not be enough talent left in the Liberal pool to completely relieve Minister Ellis of all his portfolios, given his recent performance problems, he must be in line for a demotion.
Dean Winter MP
Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly
