Giddings ready to sign Gonski

PREMIER Lara Giddings is still confident of signing on to Gonski education reforms before the end of the week -- despite Kevin Rudd toppling Julia Gillard as Prime Minister.

Ms Giddings, who was expected to announce Tasmania had signed on to the reforms with Ms Gillard at the Labor State conference at the weekend, said yesterday she was confident Mr Rudd was also dedicated to the Gonski reforms.

"I was pleased today to see the Prime Minister acknowledge the role of the former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the Australian Parliament," she said yesterday.

"He very much acknowledged the role she has played in driving education reform and additional resources into the education system.

"I am confident, with the number of states that have already signed up to Gonski and the intention of Tasmania to sign up to Gonski, that we will see this reform continued to be rolled out."

Ms Giddings said she was still confident Tasmania could sign on to the Gonski reforms before Sunday, the June 30 deadline.

"I am hopeful we will be able to sign up to Gonski in coming days," she said.

"My confidence is based on the fact that Kevin Rudd has already acknowledged the legacy of the former Prime Minister and the importance of the education reforms and the increased funding for education."

Ms Giddings said she was confident Tasmania would not lose $100 million in GST payments if the state signed on to Gonski.

However, she did say the State Government had not received written confirmation from the Federal Government about the GST guarantee.

She said she wished she had been in a position to sign on to the Gonski reforms "many, many weeks ago".

"Neither side has deliberately stopped signing," she said.

"We have had real issues that we have had to talk through and negotiate.

"It would have been wonderful to sign up with the former Prime Minister who has driven these reforms."

matthew.smith@news.com.au

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Labor MPs keep mum

MOST Tasmanian Federal Labor politicians have dodged questions over who they voted for in the federal Labor spill.

The integral votes of Tasmanian Labor politicians that had Julia Gillard ousted and replaced by Kevin Rudd have cited the need to look to the future, but failed to tell the Tasmanian people who got their vote.

Tasmanian senators Lisa Singh, a Rudd backer, and Gillard supporters Catryna Bilyk and Helen Polley were the most forthright.

Carol Brown's office also confirmed the Labor Left powerbroker voted for Mr Rudd.

Tasmanian senator Lisa Singh released an early morning statement saying she had switched her vote to Mr Rudd "in the best interests of the Labor Party and the nation".

Ms Bilyk said she voted for Ms Gillard, but would fully back Mr Rudd.

Amid obvious criticism Tasmanian MPs had switched their allegiance to Mr Rudd in a bid to save their careers, other MPs were not so forthcoming.

Lyons MP Dick Adams, Bass MP Geoff Lyons and Braddon MP Sid Sidebottom, all of whom the polls are suggesting are in serious trouble, said yesterday the vote was a secret ballot.

Mr Adams said he believed the Tasmanian vote was split 50-50.

Mr Lyons and Mr Adams were both big supporters of Mr Rudd's parliamentary performance yesterday describing it as succinct and positive.

However the Mercury understands Ms Bilyk and Ms Polley were the only Tasmanian politicians to support Ms Gillard.

The most senior Tasmanian in the Commonwealth government, Franklin MP Julie Collins, would not be drawn on who she supported, but remained on the front bench yesterday, which supported rumours that she had switched her allegiance to Mr Rudd.

Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings came under fire for comments she made in a newspaper interview in March 2011 where she said she "wasn't a great fan personally of the Kevin Rudd COAG process as a minister".

Yesterday afternoon she said she would have no trouble working with Mr Rudd.

"I have no problem in congratulating Kevin Rudd," she said.

"Kevin Rudd himself has acknowledged some of these criticisms, but he has said himself that he is a changed man.

"I look forward to working with Kevin Rudd."

Mr Rudd is now not expected to attend the Tasmanian Labor conference in Burnie at the weekend.

matthew.smith@news.com.au

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Boy drowns in fishing tragedy

A FATHER and son fishing trip has ended in tragedy at Bicheno with a man and his six-year-old son being swept off rocks by a wave.

Police last night confirmed the boy had drowned, while the search for his father was ongoing late last night.

The father and son, who were understood to be holidaying at Bicheno, on the state's East Coast, were reportedly fishing from rocks near the esplanade boat ramp when they were swept into the sea about 5pm.

Witnesses raised the alarm, sparking a major air and sea search involving a police rescue boat and the Westpac Police Rescue Helicopter. The body of the boy was pulled from the water about 7pm.

Bicheno By The Bay motel owner Andrew Thomas said the father and son were visitors who had been staying at the motel as part of a group.

The wife and mother of the two is believed to have been with the group.

Mr Thomas said the father and son had been fishing off rocks across the road from the motel when they were swept away.

He said although the weather was fine at Bicheno yesterday, there was a large swell that had been created by recent bad weather.

He described the spot where the pair were swept away as a sloping, rocky area.

He said while it was not a popular fishing spot, people did fish there from time to time and the water off the rocks was frequented by snorkelers and divers.

Mr Thomas said while the rocks were not known to be particularly dangerous, the surface of the rocks could be slippery.

"There is lichen and moss and algae there, it's slippery and people do have to be careful," Mr Thomas said.

Police investigations into the incident are continuing and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

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Nude swim a cheeky event

EXHILARATING. Freezing. Amazing.

That is how Dark MOFO artistic director Leigh Carmichael described his festival's inaugural nude swim which took place at first light off Long Beach in Sandy Bay today.

Hundreds of hardy souls wearing nothing but red swimming caps took to the River Derwent for the event.

Approaching the beach en masse with a cheer that broke the dawn silence, the group discarded their white towels as orange flares signalled the beginning of the winter solstice celebration.

Then began a mad charge for the water, which at 12C was considerably warmer than the heavily frosted beach the swimmers left behind.

After three minutes it was all over, as swimmers waded back out of the water.

Some raced for towels, while others were content to huddle naked around the barrels of fire dotting the beach.

Keeping a close eye on proceedings were two police boats and a small flotilla of surf lifesavers on boards.

Safety concerns meant the nude swim was staged in two parts -- 150 swimmers at dawn, followed by another 50 half an hour later.

"I don't normally swim at all in the ocean, so that was pretty brave for me," Mr Carmichael said.

"The community spirit was amazing. I think we've had a community spirit the entire festival and this really finishes it off. I'm really happy.

"This was about embracing the cold and the winter, and just celebrating as a community this time the year and the solstice."

Hobart Lord Mayor Damon Thomas was one of the first into the water, which took place on the shortest day of the year.

"It was a fantastic community effort," a bare-chested Mr Thomas told the media.

"This is just Hobart. We've broken so many barriers this week. We've proven that people will start looking to come here for weekends, rather than the old idea of pushing people away.

"I'd go out again"

Finally, a small group of about 20 clothed swimmers took to the water for the "prude" swim.

Then it was straight back to a heated room for hot chocolate, hot water bottles and most importantly, clothes.

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