Breaking: Tasmania's Racing Minister Jane Howlett resigns

Jane Howlett resigns as Tasmania's Racing Minister amid questioning over publicly-funded legal bill Tue 16 Jun 2026 at 12:22pm Tasmania's Racing Minister Jane Howlett has resigned from cabinet, citing "relentless personal and political" attacks from opposition parties as the reason. It makes her the second minister to resign from Premier Jeremy Rockliff's cabinet in just over two weeks. Ms Howlett has faced mounting pressure to move to the backbench over $300,000 in taxpayer money paying her legal fees, and as of yesterday, questions over conflicting evidence about what her office knew about a breach of caretaker mode during the last election. In a statement less than one hour before parliament was due to sit, Ms Howlett revealed she had tendered her resignation to the premier. "It is obvious that the relentless personal and political attack on me is causing a significant distraction for the government, which I cannot allow to continue," Ms Howlett said. "It has been an honour to serve the people of Tasmania across multiple portfolios. "I have done so with a total focus on public duty." Labor and the Greens had both called for Ms Howlett to resign before parliament resumed. The two parties and the remaining members of the crossbench hold the majority of seats in parliament and could potentially have forced Ms Howlett out with a no-confidence motion. Just over two weeks ago, Liberal MP Madeleine Ogilvie also stepped down from cabinet over allegations she had misled parliament. Labor and the crossbench also forced out then-deputy premier Michael Ferguson in 2024 over the Spirit of Tasmania ferry debacle. Stepping down today, Ms Howlett took aim at the minority parliament. "Tasmanians should be rightly concerned the Opposition is continuing to destabilise minority government to put their own political interests ahead of the proper work of delivering for our state. "I want to thank my family, my staff, friends, and all those who have supported me." I intend to continue to serve the people of Lyons with dedication, hard work, and determination." Ms Howlett has faced questions for years about whether she is the subject of an integrity investigation. She has also been unable to explain why she has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funded legal fees and has not answered questions around whether she is a party to Supreme Court action. Ms Howlett and the government maintain that it is legally complex and she will provide full details when she is able to. Loading