Hobart-based independent MP Andrew Wilkie has fired the starter's gun on his federal election campaign with a promise not to do preference deals.
Seeking a third term in the lower house, Mr Wilkie said he's "as energised as ever" about representing Tasmanians in the lead up to the July 2 double dissolution poll, and will campaign on key issues including health, education and jobs.
"During the campaign I will not enter into any preference negotiations or do any preference deals with any party or other candidate," he said.
"And if re-elected I will not enter into any agreement to allow any party to form government.
"Instead I will approach every issue in the parliament on its merits."
Liberal Andrew Nikolic, the incumbent MP for the seat of Bass, said Tasmanian voters should look at the track record of the coalition government in Canberra when deciding how to vote in July.
"Since the last election the Tasmanian economy has turned around and started to grow, with unemployment dropping from over eight per cent under Labor and the Greens, to under seven per cent now," the first-term MP said.
But Labor's sole Tasmanian member in the House of Representatives, Julie Collins, plans to keep her seat by arguing the ALP will restore funding to the island state, slashed by the coalition.
"Tasmanians know that the only way we will receive the infrastructure funding we need to support jobs and growth is with a Shorten Labor government," Ms Collins said.
From the upper house, Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the election will be decided by environmental policy.
"This election will be fought on climate change," he said.
"No Tasmanian has seen a summer like we just had and we should be investing in climate science not cutting CSIRO jobs."
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