Adam Morton

2 weeks ago | iomtoday.co.im | Adam Morton

Here’s a guide to the best gigs around the island for the week ahead. - Saddleoke with Ray Sloane at The Saddle, Douglas. - Ramsey Folk Club singaround at the Buffs (R.A.O.B) Club, Derby Road, Ramsey, 8pm to 11pm. Also in the news- Albertoke with Ray Sloane at The Albert, Douglas. - Eoin Molyneux at Quids Inn, Douglas. - Winston Liu at O’Donnell’s, Douglas. - Shaye Marsden at the Claremont, Douglas. - ​Karaoke and Disco at The Central, Ramsey, 8pm. - Karaoke FM at the Front Porch, Douglas, 8pm.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Adam Morton

Tasmania will hold an early election on 19 July – just 16 months after last going to the polls – after the state’s governor agreed to an extraordinary request from the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff. It followed a dramatic week in which the parliament narrowly supported a no confidence motion in Rockliff moved by the Labor leader, Dean Winter, and the state’s three main political parties each argued a fresh election could be avoided.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Adam Morton

Fans of naked political cynicism have had plenty to cheer of late. Those hoping for something more from their elected leaders – a bit of principle and coherency, say – have had no shortage of reasons to lament what Michael Stipe once called the downhill slide into abysmal. In Australia, there is cynicism right through the Albanese government’s proposed approval of a 45-year life extension for one of the world’s biggest gas developments.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Adam Morton

Craig Garland, the fisherman turned maverick independent MP from Tasmania’s north-western corner, summed it up best when he told state parliament on Thursday morning he was “a bit confused”. Garland wasn’t confused about what he was doing – he calmly backed a no-confidence motion in the Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff. But he expressed doubts about how the Tasmanian parliament got here, and what lay ahead. Based on the reaction online and on talkback radio, many Tasmanians agree.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Adam Morton

Tasmania’s parliament has passed a no-confidence motion in the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, setting the stage for the fourth state election in seven years. The motion brought by the Labor leader, Dean Winter, passed by the barest margin, with the Labor speaker, Michelle O’Byrne, casting a deciding vote. Rockliff’s grip on power was lost after a marathon two-day debate finished on Thursday afternoon.